BJP's call for bandh in Karnataka evokes dull response, with schools and colleges functioning as normal

Bengaluru: Bhartiya Janta Party’s appeal to farmers and the public to “voluntarily observe a bandh” across Karnataka on Monday to protest the alleged failure of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to keep up his farm loan waiver promise, got off to a dull start. [caption id=“attachment_4472743” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of BS Yeddyurappa. PTI[/caption] Reports from across the state said normal life has not been affected, with schools and colleges, as also public transport services functioning normally. Most of the farmers and pro-Kannada organisations have not supported the bandh call, citing politics behind it. BJP activists held demonstrations in different parts of the state; during one such event in Mysuru Member of Parliament Pratap Simha along with some party workers were detained by the police. In a fierce attack on the coalition government headed by Kumaraswamy, BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa during the trust vote on 25 May had termed it “unholy” and announced a state-wide bandh for Monday, if farm loans worth Rs 53,000 crore were not waived immediately as promised. However, on 26 May Yeddyurappa, who is also the leader of the opposition in the assembly, had said that BJP had not called for a bandh, but was only supporting a call given by farmers. BJP state General Secretary N Ravi Kumar in a statement released on Sunday hit out at the Chief Minister for not keeping up his promise and had called on farmers and the public to observe a bandh “voluntarily”. On his part, Kumaraswamy who had promised farm loan waiver immediately after coming to power, has sought time, as he was heading a coalition government with the Congress and will have to consult them before taking any decision. He has said that he will also have to understand the financial condition of the state. The BJP has stated that bandh will not be observed in Bengaluru where election is being held for Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency on Monday. Ahead of assembly election across the state on 12 May, polling in Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency was deferred, following the voter ID controversy and various other irregularities. The Kumaraswamy government had on 25 May,won the vote of confidence in the Legislative Assembly amid a walkout by BJP MLAs.