Hubballi: The dawn-to-dusk bandh called by BJP and other organizations against the CM’s letter to the Centre, to consider Raichur for IIT instead of Dharwad, received a mixed response on Wednesday.
Most of the business establishments remained closed along with all buses remaining off road, causing inconvenience to the general public.
However, Pro-Kannada organisations and the Kalasa Banduri agitation committee opposed the bandh. Auto rickshaws services too, were not affected as its drivers, workers union and few farmer organizations did not heed to the call for a bandh.
BJP had called for a bandh after CM Siddaramaiah wrote a letter to HRD ministry to shift IIT to Raichur instead of Dharwad. The bandh was called while the Kalasa Banduri protests are still on.
Protesters blocked Chennamma circle and shouted slogans against the state government. They also burnt an effigy of CM Siddaramaiah.
Condemning the bandh, several pro-Kannada organisations, Kalasa Banduri committee and others alleged that BJP at the centre has failed to implement the Kalasa Banduri and Mahadayi project. BJP is trying to win people’s confidence which they had lost by failing to implement the Kalasa Banduri project, through the IIT issue. In Dharwad, the IIT issue is being politicised and BJP is trying to get mileage out of it and hence they have decided to boycott bandh, it is learnt.
