Karnataka bandh tomorrow: pvt cabs, autos, taxis on strike, Section 144 to be implemented in Bengaluru from tonight

The 12-hour bandh will be in effect from 6 am to 6 pm on Friday. BMTC buses will ply but the private cab operators, autos and taxis will remain off the roads. The schools and colleges are waiting for a government decision on closure. The bandh organisers said they would try to shut highways, railways and airports.

Bengaluru: The pro-Kannada organisations under 'Kannada Okkuta' have called for a state-wide bandh tomorrow in protest against release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Hundreds of pro-Kannada organisations led by Vatal Nagaraj, Sara Govindu, Praveen Shetty have extended their full support for the bandh while some organisations have given their moral support.

A bandh on the same issue was organised on Tuesday. 'Kannada Okkuta' leader Vatal Nagaraj and other activists took out a rally on the main roads of the city on Wednesday, appealing owners of hotels, shopping malls and shops to support the bandh. The leaders said that a protest rally will be held from the Town Hall to Freedom Park tomorrow.

The 'Kannada Okkuta' leaders said they will try to shut down railways, highways and airports. Also, they warned the state government against taking measures to curtail the bandh.

The Kannada Film Chamber of Commerce has assured to suspend all activities of the Kannada film industry and requested artists to participate at the protest rally. Also, the Bengaluru City District Kannada Sahitya Parishad has supported the bandh. The private schools have asked the respective district commissioners to take a decision on granting a holiday in view of the bandh.

Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) Employees Union will provide moral support to the bandh but have decided to operate their buses as usual. Also, no holiday has been declared for the government schools and colleges.

Along with the private cab operators, Ola and Uber, around 48,000 taxis and 1.25 lakh autos will remain off the roads. The Ola Uber Association president Tanveer Pasha said that full support is being extended to the bandh. Street vendors have also supported the bandh. Rangaswamy, the state president of the Federation of Karnataka Street Vendors Organisations, said there will be a complete shutdown of street hawkers and local market hawkers across the state from 6 am to 6 pm tomorrow.

Senior police officer B Dayanand said protest marches and rallies will not be allowed and Section 144 will be imposed in the city from 12 am on Friday till 12 am on Saturday. He said that protests will be allowed only on Freedom Park and organisations have been informed in this regard.

Dayanand said that the Supreme Court has given a clear instruction on bandh calls. Organisers will be responsible for any damage caused to public property during bandh, he said adding that one cannot enforce the bandh forcibly.

A huge contingent of forces will be deployed on the roads and teams of the Karnataka State Reserve Police, City Armed Reserve and Home Guard are being deployed in the sensitive areas. Those with criminal background are being taken into custody as a precautionary measure, Dayanand added.