Pramesh S Jain
As the bandh announced police stepped up vigil and decided not to grant permission to hold protest.
No normal life was effected,public transport were functioning as usual.
Tight security deployed on Friday and bounded over 700 people from in and around who are mischief mongers and habitual offenders and trouble makers under preventive detention on Friday night.
The police deployed at entry and exit points to Bengaluru started checking vehicles to see protestors coming into the city.Patrolling was Intensified in sensitive areas and protestors and activists were kept on close watch.
The police have detained over hundred protesters from Kannada organisations who started gathering at Town Hall by Saturday morning around 10 am to protest the formation of the Maratha Development Corporation.
smaller dharnas are being staged across the city.
As of Wednesday morning,BMTC buses and autos were functioning as usual,though a section of taxi drivers on aggregator apps are supporting the bandh.
Kannada Organisations had planned to march to the Chief Minister’s residence,but have so far been unsuccessful due to heavy police deployment at Shivananda circle and in and around the CM’s residence.
While a main rally was about to held at Freedom Park, but was stopped near corporation circle and detained all the protesters.
Vatal Nagaraj,president of the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha,was detained at Town Hall as he came to lead the protest.He accused Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa of being anti-Kannada for quelling the protest.He claimed the police have detained 30,000 protesters across the state to foil the protest
Two incidents of miscreants pelting buses with stones were reported in KR Puram and Chandapura.Many shops at Gandhinagar and Chickpet area remained shut to support the bandh.However, normal life remained unaffected in other parts of the city.
Bengaluru city police commissioner,Kamal Pant who monitored and administered the over all bandh in the city told media persons a high value meeting was called on Friday all the officers were present in the meeting and we gave instructions them.
The tyre shops and junk yards were asked to shut down anticipating that protestors will approach them for old tyres.
The petrol pump stations was instructed not to sell the fuel in lose or in cand and bottles for a day.
On Saturday morning,police teams rounded up protestors as soon as they started the March and protest as they dint had permission to held a protest.
The police played major role to contain the protest.As many as 1500 people have been detained under preventive custody since Friday and were yet to be released.
Tha police officers at the local level also spoke to the local activists asking them to stay away from the protest.
Because of the eloborate measures not even single violence reported and no property damage case reported in the city I thank all the police officers who has done tremendous work in controlling the protesters and maintaining peace in the city,Kamal Pant, city police commissioner said.
