India
oi-Deepika S
Bangalore, Dec 4: Karnataka teams have called for a bandh on December 5, opposing the establishment of a Maratha Development Corporation.
These organizations on Friday reaffirmed their determination to hold the bandh on Saturday by demanding that the government renounce its decision to form the MDA.
Vatal Nagaraj, who is leading the agitation, said that in Bengaluru the agitation is for the pride of Kannada.
“I want to tell Yediyurappa – You remove the ” Authority ” (MDA), I will put a garland on the Vidhana Soudha. But do not threaten us. We will not be scared,” Nagaraj said.
He alleged that the government threatened various organizations that used the police to withdraw support for the bandh, but it will not work.
Film producer Sa Ra Govindu, various factions of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, including Praveen Shetty and TA Narayana Gowda, the Ola-Uber drivers association, and some auto rickshaw unions have extended their support for Bandh.
However, government offices, hotels, bus and metro services will remain open.
In light of Bandh’s call, the police have tightened security across the state to prevent any adverse incidents and the forced closure of shops and commercial establishments.
In Bengaluru, some 14,000 police will be deployed.
The movement to establish the MDA was seen as an attempt by the Marathas who are dominant in Basava Kalyan in the Bidar district, bordering Maharashtra.
The by-election of the Assembly will be held in Basava Kalyan after the death of Congress in MLA B Narayan Rao session due to the coronavirus a few months ago.
The decision generated a growing outcry from other development authorities and development corporations.
The government also announced the formation of Veerashaiva Lingayat Development Corporation with a fund of Rs 500 million.
Basava Kalyan is an important pilgrimage for the people of the Lingayat sect, as he was the “Karmabhoomi” of the sect founder and 12th century social reformer, Basaveshwara.
However, these measures did not impress the pro-Kannada organizations.
They want the government to withdraw the MDA because Marathis continues to demand the secession of the Belagavi district from Karnataka and the merger with Maharashtra, as the district has a sizeable Marathi population because it is on the border of the two states.
The Belagavi-based Maharasthra Ekikaran Samiti, who spearheaded the agitation for Belagavi’s merger with Maharashtra, had even succeeded in placing some of its members in the Karnataka Assembly.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday made a fervent appeal to pro-Kannada organizations not to go for the Karnataka bandh on Saturday against the formation of the Maratha Development Authority (MDA).
“I call on everyone, including Vatal Nagaraj, not to bother people with Karnataka Bandh. It is not mandatory,” the chief minister told reporters in Bengaluru.
Yediyurappa said he is doing his best to bring all the communities.
He stressed that he is doing everything possible to give prominence to the Kannada language.
“I have already given prominence to kannada and I am ready to do whatever it takes to make kannada prominent,” said the Chief Minister.
