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States » SouthPosted at: Mar 22 2025 10:51PM


Karnataka bandh concludes peacefully

Bengaluru, Mar 22 (UNI) A 12-hour statewide bandh called by pro-Kannada groups to protest the alleged assault on a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus conductor in Belagavi last month concluded peacefully today.
The conductor was reportedly attacked for not conversing in Marathi, escalating linguistic tensions in the region.
In various parts of Karnataka, activists took to the streets, appealing to shopkeepers and the public to support the bandh. Despite their efforts, most commercial establishments remained open.
In Bengaluru, demonstrators gathered at Mysore Bank Circle, raising slogans and holding placards. Some protesters attempted to persuade bus drivers and conductors at the Majestic bus stand to join the bandh, leading to preventive detentions by the police.
In Mysuru, pro-Kannada activists staged sit-in protests at the suburban bus stand, blocking buses destined for Bengaluru and other regions. Similar demonstrations occurred in Davangere. In Belagavi, KSRTC buses operated as usual, but services from Maharashtra to this border town were limited due to the ongoing linguistic dispute.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar urged citizens to maintain peace and adhere to the law, expressing that there was no necessity for the bandh.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda warned of legal action against those coercing participation in the bandh. The city saw the deployment of 60 Karnataka State Reserve Police platoons, 1,200 home guards, and the full civil and traffic police force to ensure order.
Despite the bandh, essential services such as hospitals, pharmacies, ambulance services, petrol pumps, and metro operations continued without interruption. While some transport unions supported the bandh, many hotels, malls, bars, and restaurants remained operational, offering only moral support to the cause.
The bandh was organized in response to an incident where a KSRTC bus conductor was allegedly assaulted in Belagavi for not speaking Marathi, highlighting the region's linguistic sensitivities.
Belagavi, located on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border, has a significant Marathi-speaking population, and disputes over language have periodically surfaced.
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