Bandh turns violent in Karnataka

Protesters turned violent, setting fire to public property as a total bandh was enforced in Karnataka on Saturday to vent their ire against the Governor’s sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa for alleged land scam.

Shouting slogans against Governor H R Bhardwaj, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists torched government buses at Jayanagar, Electronic city, K R Puram in the city
and elsewhere in the state, reports reaching here said.

Crowds became thin and vehicles went off the road as the day progressed while gates of educational institutions and offices remained shut. The day, being the third Saturday, was however, a normal holiday for Bangalore University.

Yeddyurappa said he was consulting with his party workers whether to move the High Court to challenge the Governor’s order to prosecute him under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.

Media reports quoted BJP sources as saying that the matter were being discussed with legal experts and the next move would be taken once the prosecution order was available from the Raj Bhawan.

The spat between Bhardwaj and Yeddyurappa has been going for months after the latter survived no-motion confidence motion in the Assembly following rebellion among the party legislators and some independents.

Meanwhile, the administration tightened security measures across the state deploying police in all vulnerable areas.

Thirty platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and 18,000 policemen will be on high alert to prevent any untoward incidents on the bandh day, City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari said.

The Old Madras Road remained blocked for hours near the tin factory with the BJP workers staging demonstration against the Governor?s decision.

The workers also burnt an effigy of the Governor.