Lukewarm response for BJP’s Karnataka bandh call in the name of farmers

Agencies

May 28, 2018

Bengaluru, May 28: The opposition BJP's appeal to farmers and the public to "voluntarily observe a bandh" across Karnataka on Monday to protest the alleged failure of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to keep up his farm loan waiver promise, got off to a dull start.

Reports from across the state said normal life has not been affected, with schools and colleges, as also public transport services functioning normally.

Most of the farmers' and pro-Kannada organisations have not supported the bandh call, citing politics behind it.

BJP activists held demonstrations in different parts of the state; during one such event Mysuru Member of Parliament Pratap Simha along with some party workers were detained by the police.

In a fierce attack on the coalition government headed by Kumaraswamy, BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa during the trust vote on May 25 had termed it "unholy" and announced a state-wide bandh for today, if farm loans worth Rs 53,000 crore were not waived immediately as promised.

However, on May 26 Yeddyurappa, who is also the leader of the opposition in the assembly, had said that BJP had not called for a bandh, but was only supporting a call given by farmers.

BJP state General Secretary N Ravi Kumar in a statement released yesterday hit out at the Chief Minister for not keeping up his promise and had called on farmers and the public to observe a bandh "voluntarily" today.

On his part, Kumaraswamy who had promised farm loan waiver immediately after coming to power, has sought time, as he was heading a coalition government with the Congress and will have to consult them before taking any decision.

He has said that he will also have to understand the financial condition of the state.

The BJP has stated that bandh will not be observed in Bengaluru where election is being held for Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency today.

Ahead of assembly election across the state on May 12, polling in Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency was deferred, following the voter ID controversy and various other irregularities.

The Kumaraswamy government had on May 25 won the vote of confidence in the Legislative Assembly amid a walkout by BJP MLAs.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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