Bengaluru, Jul 12 (IANS): The Karnataka Congress on Tuesday attacked the BJP on the Idgah Maidan row and said that peace should not be disturbed.

Congress' state chief D.K. Shivakumar said BJP and other organisations should not disturb the peace by raking up the controversy. He said that Idgah Maidan should be preserved and maintained as per the history and earlier traditions. "There are attempts being made to bring new changes to confuse people," he said.

"There are records for what it was called all these days and there are also documents. Everything is in public domain," said Shivakumar.

The Hindu organisations had given a call for bandh in Chamarajpet locality of Bengaluru in connection with the Idgah Maidan controversy on Tuesday.

The bandh saw a clear communal division in the locality with Hindu traders and business establishments closing down extending their support to bandh while Muslim traders refused to close down their business establishments. Many of them complained that they were being forced to close down their shops.

Security has been beefed up in Bengaluru. The Hindu activists and Federation of Chamarajpet Citizens observed bandh in support of their demand to retain Idgah Maidan as a playground and not to accede the land to the Waqf Board.

There is a tense situation in the surrounding areas of Idgah Maidan. A holiday has been declared in schools and colleges in the locality. About 50 organisations, including Hindu Jana Jagriti Samithi, Vishwa Sanatana Parishat, Sri Rama Sena, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jagaran Samithi have extended their support to the bandh.