In Bangalore, BJP National General Secretary H N Anantkumar, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and several BJP activists staged a protest and courted arrest.
Police said the arrested were later let off.
Bangalore, where many IT and BT companies are situated, wore a deserted look. The IT companies had deployed Central Security Force personnel to man important infrastructure on their campuses.
Normal life was affected as private operators and public transport system including state run buses remained off the roads. No untoward incidents were reported, police said.
The government had declared holiday to schools and colleges as a precautionary measure.
Shops and Business houses remained closed and streets wore a deserted look in many parts of the state.
Cities like Hubli-Dharwad, Gadag, Belgaum, Mangalore, Davanagere, Bidar, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Shimoga, Hassan and Mysore wore a deserted look.
Thin attendance was reported in Government offices.
Those who arrived by trains were stranded at the railway station. Police were on high alert to prevent any untoward incident.
In Mysore, BJP workers stopped a Kannada film shooting in which Kannada actress Ramya, who recently joined Congress, was acting, police said.
