Bengaluru bandh: Schools, public transport to operate as usual, police warn against forced participation

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda stated that the police will ensure normalcy, with heavy security arrangements in place.

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda has warned that legal action will be taken against anyone forcing individuals or establishments to participate in the Karnataka bandh on Saturday.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda.(ANI)

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He stated that the police will ensure normalcy, with heavy security arrangements in place, including the deployment of 60 Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) platoons, 1,200 home guards, and the entire civil and traffic police force, Times of India reported.

The bandh is being held in response to the recent assault on a bus conductor in Belagavi for not speaking Marathi to a passenger.

Schools, colleges to remain open

Despite the bandh, educational institutions will remain open. Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha G confirmed that ongoing examinations will not be disrupted. The education department reiterated that no school-level exams would be rescheduled. CBSE and CISCE-affiliated schools also assured that their scheduled exams, including the ISC Home Science and CBSE Class 12 exams, would proceed as planned.

Major public transport services, including Namma Metro, BMTC, and KSRTC, have announced that their operations will continue as usual, the report added. However, autorickshaw and app-based cab services are expected to be limited, as some unions have extended their support to the bandh.

Commissioner Dayananda warned that any damage to public or private property during the bandh would be dealt with strictly, with the organizers held accountable for compensation.

According to the police, Vatal Nagaraj, leader of Kannada Okkuta—a federation of pro-Kannada organizations, had sought permission for the bandh, but the request was denied.

Defending the shutdown, Nagaraj stated, "The Karnataka bandh will be 100 per cent effective. Stay at home, do not go to school or college. A bandh doesn’t mean creating chaos, setting things on fire, or causing trouble."