Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SHP)

Bengaluru, Sep 4: Following D K Shivakumar's arrest, Karnataka Congress called for a state-wide bandh on Wednesday, September 4. The Congress troubleshooter was placed in arrest by ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The reaction of the arrests was observed among the Congress supporters who carried out protests across Karnataka. The protests grew violent in Bengaluru's Rural and Ramanagaram districts, well-known as Shivakumar’s strongholds.

The supporters wreaked havoc by stoning four KSRTC buses and blocking the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway. To avoid catastrophe, the districts’ schools and colleges are shut.

On Tuesday night in Satanur, 16 buses were torched and stoned. Sensing the gravity of the situation, state police asked the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to not run any buses in Ramanagara until the situation is under control.

The KSRTC buses running for Mysuru-Bengaluru have now been directed to operate via Magadi, Huliyurudurga. The state police have paused the services of public buses at Bidadi.

To police have released information about the roadblock mentioning that the Bengaluru-Ramanagaram-Mysuru road has been blocked due to protests at the Ijoor circle.

Meanwhile, considering the rage building up among the Congress supporters in Karnataka, security tightened around chief minister BS Yediyurappa's residence and a couple of other BJP offices in Congress' strongholds.

On Wednesday, DK Shivakumar will be presented here before the court after which the ED will seek his custody. The news of the arrest was tweeted form DK Shivakumar's official handle as being 'politically motivated'.

"I appeal to my party cadre, supporters and well-wishers to not be disheartened as I have done nothing illegal. I have full faith in God and in our country's judiciary and am very confident that I will emerge victorious both legally and politically against this vendetta politics," said another tweet.

After the arrest, Shivakumar's supporters began raising slogans against ED outside their office. Rebuking the move, Congress described the arrest as "high-handed tactics and vendetta politics."

"The arrest of Shri DK Shivakumar is yet another attempt by the government to distract the public from their failed policies and the sorry state of the economy,” the opposition party said in a tweet.