Date:03/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/03/stories/2008120354090500.htm

Karnataka

Chickballapur bandh disrupts life, peaceful

Special Correspondent

Bus services severely affected

The bandh was called to condemn terror attacks
BJP, RSS leaders addressed a public meeting

COMPLETE SHUTDOWN: The main bus stand at Chickballapur deserted on Tuesday when a bandh was called to protest against Mumbai terrorist attacks.

CHICKBALLAPUR: Life was affected and several students appearing for the ongoing degree examinations were put to inconvenience as a bandh was observed in Chickballapur on Tuesday to condemn the Mumbai terror attacks.

In response to a bandh called by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other Sangh Parivar organisations, all the shops, business establishments, eateries, and cinemas in the town had remained close till evening.

As bus services were disrupted, several students appearing for the Bangalore University’s BBM and BA examinations could not reach the examination halls in time.

In some halls at the Government Firs Grade College and Vishnu Priya College of Management, the distribution of question papers was reportedly delayed by a few minutes as many students had not made it to the examination hall in time.

The buses bound for Chickballapur from Gudibande and Bagepalli areas were stopped near Chitravathi, some 5 km from the town. Similarly, buses coming from Bangalore were stopped near K.V. Campus on the outskirts of the town. Thus, students and other passengers had to walk a few km to reach the town.

Passengers who were to catch buses underwent a similar ordeal. Although all the educational institutions declared a holiday, the examinations were not disrupted. Sangh Parivar activists went around the town on motorcycles and ensured that shops and business establishments did not function. They forcibly closed a school on Shidalaghatta Road. The normally busy National Highway-7 that passes through the town; crowded business areas and the bus stand were deserted. But government offices and banks functioned normally.

The protestors led by the BJP district unit president Sathyanarayana Mahesh took out a procession in the town. Later, they gathered at the Shidalaghatta Circle and held a public meeting. Local BJP and RSS leaders addressed the gathering. The police had tightened the security in the town in view of the bandh.

A section of BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders were against giving a call for bandh as it would inconvenience students in view of the examinations. But as the other groups had already given a bandh call, they unwillingly took part in the procession, BJP sources told The Hindu.

The Chickballapur District Advocates’ Association took out a procession in the town on Monday to protest the terrorist attacks.

The lawyers, who abstained from court for a few hours, submitted a memorandum to the Assistant Commissioner, demanding steps to check terrorism.

Addressing the lawyers and the public, senior lawyer S.R. Seetharama Rao advised the public to immediately inform the police if they noticed any suspicious people moving or living in their vicinity.