Coastal Karnataka wakes up to a total 'Bundh'

Mangalore, May 31: The cities and towns across coastal Karnataka on Thursday woke up to a total 'Bundh' with all commercial and business activity coming to a grinding halt in Mangalore, Udupi and Karwar.

The complete shutdown was in response to a 'Bharat Bandh' called by the NDA and backed by ruling party in the state, the BJP.

Both city and service buses and autorickshaws in three major coastal cities were pulled off the streets as quite a few vehicles were the target of the protestor's ire. Despite the assurance of KSRTC Managing Director N. Manjunatha Prasad that normal services will be operated throughout the day, no government buses were seen on roads in coastal cities.

Schools, colleges, banks and other sectors remained shut in the morning, with most of the state government officials too seizing the opportunity to stay back at home.

The Karnataka State Open University has postponed exams scheduled for May 31.

Several teams of Bharatiya Janata Party workers were out on the streets in different parts of the cities and towns to ensure a “successful and complete Bundh”

Protest Day

While BJP and its allies are observing Bharat Bundh, Left parties are observing “All India Protest Day”. Dozens of Leftist activists are staging a Rail Rokho at Mangalore Central Railway Station.

This is the second time that the BJP, Left parties are coordinating their agitations since the last Lok Sabha elections to give the impression of a wider opposition unity on issues concerning people. A similar agitation against petrol price hike had happened on July 5, 2010.

'Imposed'

Mangalore City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said that police are undertaking extensive road patrolling, besides keeping ready adequate Reserve Police Force with vehicles at strategic centres to make them available on demand to deal with untoward situation, if any. Similarly, alert has been sounded to the fire brigade.

Meanwhile congress leaders in the region blamed the BJP of imposing forcible Bundh in twin districts. "Forcible closure of government offices, shops, markets, educational institutions, industrial establishments, etc. by miscreants was common scene everywhere in the morning”, said DK District Congress Committee President B Ramanath Rai.