Bengaluru, Mar 21 (UNI) The pro-Kannada organisations have called for a statewide bandh tomorrow in response to the alleged assault on a Karnataka state-run bus conductor in Belagavi last month.
The conductor was reportedly attacked for not knowing Marathi, triggering widespread outrage among Kannada activists.
However, the Karnataka government has opposed the bandh, urging organisers to reconsider the shutdown in the interest of students and the general public. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar stated that the bandh is not necessary and stressed the need for dialogue instead.
Speaking in the Legislative Council yesterday, Shivakumar had responded to concerns raised by Leader of Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy regarding the impact of the bandh, particularly on SSLC (Class 10) students appearing for their board exams on the same day.
"The bandh is unnecessary at this time. Instead of calling for a shutdown, they should have discussed their grievances with the government. The move will adversely affect students, and we have also planned to launch a month-long water conservation campaign along with the Cauvery Aarti on March 22, observed as World Water Day," he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister reiterated that disrupting normal life is not a solution. "We do not encourage a bandh. The courts, too, do not support such shutdowns, whether political or otherwise," he stated.
He assured that officials would hold discussions with Kannada organisations to dissuade them from going ahead with the bandh. "We will make them understand that this is not the right course of action, as it will impact students whose exams have already begun. They cannot take the law into their own hands," he asserted.
Meanwhile, Kannada Okkuta leader Vatal Nagaraj has claimed that the bandh is expected to garner widespread support, though concerns remain over participation from some organisations.
The government is now focused on dialogue to prevent disruptions, ensuring that students and normal life remain unaffected on March 22.
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