The Karnataka Bandh call evoked little response in Hubballi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: KIRAN BAKALE
The bandh called by Kannada organisations against the alleged attack on a State-run transport bus conductor in Belagavi evoked a poor response in Kalyana Karnataka and Kittur Karnataka regions on Saturday, with the bandh being limited to symbolic protest marches and demonstrations.
Belagavi, the epicentre of the Marathi-Kannada and Karnataka-Maharashtra border row, too witnessed a lukewarm response with people going about their life as usual.
The Karnataka Bandh call evoked little response in Hubballi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
KIRAN BAKALE
Public transport buses, autorickshaws, private vehicles plied as usual and shops and commercial establishments remained open.
However, as a precautionary measure, the services of State transport buses operating between Karnataka and Maharashtra remained suspended. Carrying out a protest later at the landmark Kittur Chennamma Circle in Belagavi, members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Shivaramegowda faction) courted arrest.
In all districts of Kittur and Kalyana Karnataka, it was life as usual with businesses operating normally and public and private transport services remained unaffected. However the number of passengers in public transport buses were comparatively less as many stayed indoor not willing to take the risk of travelling on a ‘bandh day’.
The buses of Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) and North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) operated as usual across the region without any interruptions, albeit with less passengers.
Passengers at the central bus stand in Yadgir.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
A few Kannada activists staged protest demonstrations at the district headquarters across the region, mainly in Hubballi, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Sindhanur, Raichur, Maski, Koppal, and Ballari, and even submitted memoranda to authorities demanding a ban on the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES).
In Raichur, shops and other business establishments in the market area were closed for a while when the Kannada activists took out a motorcycle rally. In Koppal, the activists were seen trying to convince shopkeepers to close their establishments for a while. However, as soon as they left, the latter resumed their business. In Ballari also, the activists took out a bike rally raising slogans against the MES. Hubballi and Dharwad witnessed similar protests.
In Bidar, the police provided security to buses operated by the Maharashtra government to ensure that no untoward incident would happen. The police personnel were seen sitting in the buses till they crossed the State border to Maharashtra.
On Friday, activists of various factions of the KRV had requested shop owners and people to extend support to the bandh call by giving them flowers, while local Kannada organisations had clarified that they would just extend moral support to the call as they were not consulted.
Meanwhile in a related development, Thippanna Dokre, a Marathi youth who was arrested after he abused a Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) seeking government documents in Marathi, was felicitated by MES leaders after his release from jail on Saturday.
Published – March 22, 2025 07:33 pm IST