Bharat Bandh condemning fuel price hike: Bandh total in State
Bengaluru, September 10: Bharat Bandh called by the Congress and its allies condemning the fuel price hike in the country on Monday was total and peaceful barring some stray incidents in the state.
Congress and BJP workers engaged in verbal duals in Hubballi, Udupi, Bagalkot and Uttara Kannada districts, miscreants pelted stones at KSRTC buses, agitators tried to lay siege the office of MP Prahlad Joshi, Vatal Nagaraj tried to ride buffalo, while MLC TA Shravan rode horse and police caned the agitators during the bandh on Monday.
Schools and colleges were declared holiday. In some places, the agitators were seen forcefully closing down the fruits, vegetables and medical shops. In Bagalkot, the Congress workers tried to close the shops and other business establishments forcefully. The Congress workers who entered the market during the protest, force shut down the shops and asked the women who were selling fruits on the roadside to leave the place.
As the coalition partners Congress and JDS supported the bandh in the state, the administrative machinery was almost functionless. But the bandh did not have any impact on the proceedings of the courts. The High Court, City Civil Court and Magistrate Courts functioned as usual.
BMTC, KSRTC and Private buses, taxi cabs and autos were off the roads due to which, people suffered a lot at Majestic, KR Market, Shanti Nagar, Mysuru Road, Shivajinagar bus stations. In some places, auto drivers charged double amount than usual fare.
Though bus service started in some parts of the state in the morning, the agitators forcefully stopped the buses. Kannada Rakshana Vedike activists burnt tyres and blocked roads in Mysuru, Davangere, Hubballi, Hassan, Chikmagaluru and others parts, while Congress workers took out a huge protest march in Bengaluru. JDS workers took out protest march in bullock carts and burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in several places.
Vatal rides buffalo
Kannada Chalavali Vatal Party president Vatal Nagaraj condemned the fuel price hike in a unique way by riding a buffalo at Majestic bus stand. Speaking on the occasion, Vatal Nagaraj said that more than 2,000 pro-Kannada organizations have supported the bandh. He has rode buffalo condemning the stand of the Narendra Modi government at the centre which failed to check the fuel price hike. The NDA government at the centre has failed on all fronts. If it failed to check the fuel price, people would certainly revolt against it, he warned.
“The state government should not increase the bus fare in the state. This bandh is not just against the central government, but also applies to the state government. We have decided to call for a bandh against fuel price hike. But as the Congress has given the bandh call, we have extended our support to the bandh”, he said.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike led by its president Praveen Shetty took out a protest jatha to the Raj Bhavan condemning the fuel price hike. At Mekri Circle, the agitators pulled the car to protest the fuel price hike. But the police took the agitators who were marching towards Raj Bhavan from Mekri Circle, into custody near Palace Guttahalli.
Indira canteen functions
Though Bharat Bandh is successful across the state, the Indira canteens of the state government functioned as usual on Monday. As the hotels were closed, the general public were dependent on Indira canteens.
Rs 200 cr loss?
It is said that the state Exchequer has incurred a loss of Rs 200 crore in terms of tax collection due to Bharat Bandh. Apart from this, the entire state has incurred more than Rs 2,000 crore loss as the business transaction was stopped completely, it is estimated.
Bandh peaceful at Capital city
No untoward incidents were reported in the State Capital during the Bharat bandh on Monday. The bandh was peaceful. Protests were held at Mysore Bank Circle, Town Hall, Mourya Circle, Railway Station and other parts peacefully, according to City Police Commissioner T Sunil Kumar.
Tight security arrangements were made as a precautionary measure in the city. Additional police force of 15,000 including police commissioners and DCPs were deputed to monitor law and order situation across the city. Apart from this, 30 KSRTP platoons, 200 Hoysala vehicles were deployed for patrolling. The police have taken 14 persons who were misbehaving with the people at Chalukya Circle and 40 persons at Mekri Circle, into custody, Sunil Kumar said.
Protesters lay siege MP Joshi office
JDS activists laid siege the office of Hubballi-Dharwad Lok Sabha Member Prahlad Joshi and protested. Opposing this, the BJP workers staged a protest in front of the Hubballi Satellite Town Police station demanding arrest of JDS workers.
Bandh affects airport too
Bharat Bandh has affected the passengers at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. Though the number of passengers coming to the airport was less, the number of foreign travelers was as usual.
The officials tried to send the passengers by Airport taxis. As some pro-Kannada organizations blocked the connecting roads to the airport and protested and the traffic congestion was more due to accidents, the passengers had to suffer a lot.
Modi’s pot of sins has filled to its brim
The pot of Narendra Modi’s ‘sins’ has filled to its brim. The NDA government is at the verge of collapse. They were ruling according to their whims and fancies. Because of this, the rupee value against the dollar was collapsed. The fuel prices were sky-rocketing. It was sure that the NDA would not retain power in the next Lok Sabha election. The people were disappointed because of false assurances of the BJP and they would dethrone Modi from the PM position.
- M Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader in Lok Sabha
Prohibitory order at Udupi
Following clash between the Congress and BJP workers during the bandh, police security was beefed up across the Udupi city and clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 in the City Municipal Council limits, according to an order from the tahsildar. He also warned against conducting any kinds of victory celebrations, or protests and possessing any weapons.
“Our party workers were peacefully protesting. But the police caned them. As a result, one person lost one of his fingers and four others were injured. This issue would be brought to the notice of the District Minister and the Home Minister. The incident would be discussed with the party leaders in the district. If the police caned the party workers without any reason, then the Congress would stage protest in front of the SP office”.
- Vinay Kumar Sorake, former minister
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Use of loudspeakers not essential part of any religion, says Bombay HC
orders action against violation
Mumbai (PTI): Use of loudspeakers is not an essential part of any religion, the Bombay High Court said on Thursday, directing the law enforcement agencies to take prompt action against loudspeakers that violate the noise pollution norms and rules.
A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and S C Chandak said noise was a major health hazard and no one can claim that their rights are affected in any manner if he or she is denied permission to use loudspeakers.
The HC asked the state government to direct religious institutions to adopt mechanisms for controlling noise levels, including calibrated sound systems with auto-decibel limits.
The court passed its judgment on a petition filed by two housing associations from suburban Kurla - Jaago Nehru Nagar Residents Welfare Association and Shivsrushti Co-operative Housing Societies Association Ltd - alleging police inaction against noise pollution caused by loudspeakers installed on masjids in the area.
The petitioners contended that the use of loudspeakers for religious purposes, including the recitation of 'azaan' (Islamic call to prayer) disturbed the peace and violated the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, as well as provisions under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The bench in its order said Mumbai was a cosmopolitan city and obviously there are persons of different religions in every part of the city.
"It is in public interest that such permissions should not be granted. By denying such permissions, rights under Article 19 or 25 of the Constitution of India are not at all infringed. Use of loudspeakers is not an essential part of any religion," the HC said.
The court said it was the "bounden duty" of the state government and other authorities to enforce the law by adopting all the necessary measures, as may be prescribed by the provisions of law.
"In a democratic State, there cannot be a situation that, a person/group of persons/association of persons would say that, it will not follow or adhere to the law of the land and the law enforcers would be meek or silent spectators to it," the judgment said.
It added that common citizens are "hapless and helpless victims of these obnoxious use of loudspeakers and/or amplifiers".
The court said the police must act on complaints against loudspeakers violating the noise pollution rules without requiring identification of the complainant to avoid such complainants being targets or ill will and developing hatred.
"We direct the State to consider to direct all the concerned to have in-built mechanism to control decibel level in their loudspeakers/voice amplifiers/public address system or other sound emitting gadgets used by any religious place/structure/institution, irrespective of religion," the bench ordered.
The State may also seriously consider to issue directions for calibration and/or auto-fixation of decibel limit of loudspeakers/voice amplifiers/public address system or other sound emitting gadgets used by any or all the religions in their respective places of prayers or worship, the HC said.
The court also directed the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, to issue instructions to all police stations to take prompt action in case of any complaint against loudspeakers at religious places.
"We take a judicial note of the fact that, generally people/citizens do not complain about the things until it becomes intolerable and a nuisance," the bench said.
Reminding the authorities that ambient noise levels must not exceed 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night in residential areas, the court added that cumulative noise from all sources must adhere to these limits.
"The law does not permit that, every individual loudspeaker will emit 55 or 45 decibels of noise aggregating to more than what is prescribed under the said Rules. That would amount to frustrating the intention of the Legislature," the court said.
The court said the police may also withdraw permissions granted to the said trusts/institutions for the use of loudspeakers, if repeated violation of the provisions of the said Noise Pollution Rules are brought to their notice.
