Several pro-Kannada organisations and transport unions have called for a day-long Karnataka bandh on December 31 demanding a complete ban on the activities of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) in Karnataka over its repeated involvement in "anti-Karnataka and anti-Kannada activities" in the recent times.
Demanding a complete ban on the activities of the MES outfit in Karnataka, the organisations have set a deadline of December 29. “If the state government does not order a ban by December 29, we will go ahead with the Karnataka bandh on December 31,” said Vatal Nagaraj, former MLA and Chairperson of Federation of Pro-Kannada organisations. As many as 35 organisations have extended support for the dawn-to-dusk bandh.
“We request everyone to support our call and come out in large numbers in the interest of Karnataka and Kannada. We do not want any moral or virtual support from anybody but we need actual support by joining us on the Bandh day. This would entirely be apolitical and in the interest of the state,” Vatal Nagaraj told media persons. According to the organisers, all services barring emergency services would be suspended on December 31. Sources told DH that more than 35,000 autorickshaws, 10,000 taxis including Ola, Uber will remain off the roads as the transport organisations have publicly expressed their support to the bandh.
While more than 35 Kannada and transport organisations have expressed support to the Karnataka Bandh, the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) led by TA Narayana Gowda has distanced itself from the bandh. Making its stand clear, Narayana Gowda told media persons that there are several other methods to register our protest. “Observing Bandh is not the only solution. People have already suffered due to the pandemic. There are several other ways to express our anguish,” Gowda clarified. However, Gowda said that they would support the growing demand for a total ban on the activities of MES in Karnataka and they would carry out different kind of activities on December 31 across Karnataka.
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