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New Delhi: As Karnataka witnesses a state-wide bandh on Saturday, a number of Pro-Kannada activists who were protesting against the formation of Maratha Development Authority at Bengaluru’s Town Hall were detained and taken away by the police. In wake of the bandh, over a hundred history-sheeters were also detained today morning, said DCP (West), Bengaluru. Even though, the residents of Bengaluru seemed cautious to step outside with metro stations wearing deserted looks in the city, no major impact on normal life was witnessed so far, other than sporadic protests and demonstrations by burning effigies.
Though scarce, there is movement of vehicles on roads in various parts of the city and auto rickshaws, cabs, public transport buses and metro services are reportedly available.
Protests have also been reported in Chamarajanagara, Bengaluru Rural, Gadag, Koppa, Hassan, Ramanagara, Chitradurga, Davangere, Bagalkote, Chikkamagaluru, Mandya among other districts so far. A coalition of Kannada organisations, have also planned to hold a protest rally in the city from Town Hall to Freedom Park, against the government’s decision, later in the day.
Police have made elaborate security arrangements in the city to see to that no untoward incidents take place. Security has been beefed up around Chief Minister’s official residence and home office, where some activists have planned to lay siege.
The bandh has been called by pro-Kannada organisations against the state government’s decision to form a Maratha Development Authority and allot it Rs 50 crore. Vatal Nagraj, who leads the pro-Kannada organisations, said that the agitation is for Kannada pride and alleged that the government threatened various organisations using police to withdraw support to the Karnataka bandh but it will not work. “I want to tell Yediyurappa — You withdraw the ‘Authority’ (MDA), I will garland you at the Vidhana Soudha. But don’t threaten us. We will not get scared of it,” Nagaraj said.
Earlier on Friday, these organisations had said that they will go ahead with the bandh demanding that the government give up its decision to form the authority even after Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had appealed to the groups not to call the bandh as it caused inconveniences to others.
“I promise to take all sections of society together,” Yediyurappa said. Earlier, he had clarified that the decision to set up a Maratha Development Corporation had nothing to do with the Marathi language, and it is for the Maratha community residing in the state.
The pro-Kannada organisations had set a November 30 deadline for the government to withdraw its decision to establish Maratha Development Corporation.
The government’s decision to create a body for the Maratha community is seen as a move by the ruling BJP to woo the community ahead of the Belagavi Lok Sabha, Maski and Basavakalyan assembly bypolls, which are yet to be announced. The community is said to have considerable presence there.
The government had earlier announced the setting up of the Maratha Development Authority, but subsequently changed it to corporation, as authority has to be constituted by a law, by passing an act in the legislature.
Despite opposition, the government following the cabinet approval has even issued a formal order establishing the Maratha Development Corporation, with an allocation of Rs 50 crore, which has further irked the pro-Kannada groups.
(With Agency Inputs)
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