Karnataka Bandh: Call for shutdown today; Cong asks CM to ’withdraw law and apologise’

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Karnataka Bandh, Sept 28, 2020: Several farmer outfits and organisations have called for Karnataka bandh today, which will have an impact on the normal life of people in Bengaluru and other places as demonstrators have planned to take out rallies to oppose the amendments to the APMC and land reforms acts made by the BS Yediyurappa government. The dawn-to-dusk bandh call has been supported by several pro-Kannada and other outfits besides the opposition Congress and the JD(S), who had opposed the amendment bills in the assembly. The bandh is also backed by several labour organisations who are protesting against amendments to certain labour laws during the brief assembly session that concluded on Saturday.

Here are the live updates:

Protests Across the State: According to the farmers’ organisations, they will hold protests across the state during the bandh. In Bengaluru, a protest march has been planned from Town Hall to Mysore Bank Circle against the "anti-farmer" legislations, they said. With some goods transporters, taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers announcing their support to the bandh, their services are likely to be hit. Also, private bus services also may be affected. However, state-owned public transport bus and metro services are likely to operate normally.

Mounting an attack over the BJP government in Karnataka, AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala asked CM Yediyurappa to repeal the amendments to the APMC Act. "Dear BS Yediyurappa ji, Instead of banning the Farmer’s #Karnataka Bandh, ‘ban’ & ‘banish’ the anti farmer-labourer mindset. Withdraw the law & apologise for the blatant sell out by BJP on Land Reforms Bill. Repeal the draconian amendments to APMC Act. This is ur litmus test!" Surjewala tweeted.

’No Scope’ for Agitation: Karnataka CM | Karnataka Chief Minister Yediyurappa, however, maintained that his government was pro-farmers, adding that there was no ’scope’ for the agitation. "I had called leaders of farmers organisations and discussed with them the stand of our government and the desire of the Prime Minister (which) is pro-farmer," Yediyurappa told reporters on Sunday. Revenue Minister R Ashoka warned against any move to forcefully enforce the bandh or indulge in incidents like stone-pelting.

State-owned Public Transport Bus, Metro Services Likely to Operate | With some goods transporters, taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers announcing their support to the bandh, their services are likely to be hit. Also, private bus services also may be affected. However, state-owned public transport bus and metro services are likely to operate normally. Seen here, passengers arriving at KSRTC bus station in Mangaluru, despite a statewide bandh called by farmers’ organisations.