The Karnataka Assembly was adjourned for the day today without transacting any business as the ruling BJP and opposition members were locked in a slanging match over the Bharat bandh.
As the House met, BJP members holding placards raised anti-UPA slogans for hiking fuel prices, while the opposition countered it seeking to highlight the alleged mining scam in the state.
Speaker K G Bopaiah repeatedly appealed to the ruling party members not to disrupt the proceedings, reminding them that the Assembly was not a “political platform” and their conduct was not proper.
With BJP members refusing to yield, the Chair adjourned the House for half-an-hour. The situation was no different when the House re-assembled as BJP members shouted “Down, Down UPA” and “UPA shame, shame”. Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah (Congress) appealed to the Speaker to name protesting members and evict them, describing their protest as being “disrespectful” to the Assembly.
The Speaker’s repeated appeals again fell on deaf ears, leading to Bopaiah adjourning the House for the day. Later, speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said the support to the bandh given by the BJP Government was against the rulings of Supreme Court which held that no party should support such strikes.
“It’s highly condemnable”, he said, accusing the government of disrupting the House in an attempt to “hush up” the alleged mining scam.
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Meanwhile, in Dharwad the the bundh call evoked good response. Barring minor incidents, the bundh was total and peaceful thanks to tight security arrangements by the police.
All the business establishments and educational institutions were closed and the public transport was off the roads as the NWKRTC and private operators decided not to ply their vehicles. The auto rickshaws also stayed off the roads as the auto rickshaw drivers association participated in the protest against the hike in fuel price.
The BJP workers stopped the Yashwantpur-Dadar Chalukya Express train at Dharwad railway station for a while as mark of protest.
It was a virtual holiday for the banks and government offices as protestors forced their closure. The Janata Dal(S) workers took out procession in the city and burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and shouted slogans against the UPA government and state government. They also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner.
Members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Association went to the deputy commissioner’s office separately and submitted memorandum to the deputy commissioner.
Assistant Commissioner of Police I A Patil and his team ensured that no untoward incident occurred during the bundh.