BJP satyagraha makes life hell for commuters

Satyagraha, rally make life hell for commuters
Times of India

Bangalore: On the second consecutive day, BJP’s Satyagraha on the Uma Bharti issue crippled traffic in the city. Adding to that was a rally organised by trade unions from Majestic on Thursday.

Friday won’t be any different. The police have alerted people to be prepared for longer hours on the roads in view of the third episode of the BJP show and a demonstration by Anganwadi workers.

Commuters were virtually waylaid by the two demonstrations held within a span of 4 km, at the crowded Town Hall junction and City railway station. Traffic was halted in business hubs in the central, southern and northern parts of the city.

Traffic to Jayanagar, Banashankari, Rajajinagar, Malleswaram, Vijayanagar was diverted. Many people were stranded on Silver Jubilee Park Road, Nrupathunga Road, Hudson Circle, J.C. Road, R.V. Road, K.G. Road, Mysore Bank Circle, Ananad Rao Circle, Vatal Nagaraj Road, City railway station and Kempegowda bus terminus, Platform Road, Seshadripuram Main Road and surrounding areas.

A 25,000-strong Vidhana Soudha Chalo rally by trade unions from the City railway station premises to old central jail spilled over to Seshadri Road and Palace Road areas as the jail premises could not accommodate the huge crowd. Students of Maharani’s Arts College, Maharani’s Science College, Home Science College and Central College were stranded in the traffic jam.

‘Ban them, make our lives better’

Bangalore: Agitations holding up traffic has become a common sight in the city. Amid a series of protest rallies and meetings by parties from across the spectrum, people are crying for an end to it.

“It is high time that these rallies were stopped in the city. Knowing well the extent to which they throw normal life out of gear and the kind of pollution this creates, the authorities continue to allow them. Places must be earmarked for this and all such rallies should be held there,’’ says environmentalist Yellappa Reddy.

Chairperson of Swabhimana and trustee of the Bangalore Environment Trust G. Govardhan, says: “Such rallies have to be banned on city roads. It is a great inconvenience to people and even ambulances are not allowed through. A venue like the National College grounds must be used permanently for protest events. Cubbon Park and Lalbagh should not be touched at all.’’

Bangalore University vicechancellor M.S. Thimmappa says he managed to escape the madness since he was at the Jnanabharathi campus at Kengeri. “Undoubtedly, these rallies cause great inconvenience. The police must immediately designate a special place for these events. The old central jail premises is ideal,” he says.

Former police commissioner S.C. Burman says: “It is a cheap way of selling themselves (politicians). The politicians need the will and the administrators should have the determination to ban public rallies.”

BJP Rejects Notice For Roadshow Without Permission

Bangalore: If you are wondering who has given permission to the BJP to hold its satyagraha, well, nobody did. Because the party had not sought permission for it.

The police had served a notice on the party on Wednesday after the protest, led by former deputy PM L.K. Advani, resulted in massive snarl-ups in the city. Meanwhile, it was the same scene near the Town Hall junction on Thursday.

DCP (central) Parashivamurthy, in whose jurisdiction Town Hall junction falls, said the BJP had never applied for permission to stage satyagraha near the junction. “We have issued a notice to them in this regard and their general secretary refused to accept it. So we have sent a copy to their party office through registered post,’’ he said.
But there is hope ahead. The chaos has prompted the city police to decide to ban protests in busy areas like Town Hall junction.

Police commissioner S. Mariswamy told The Times of India: “We are going to ban satyagrahas, dharnas, rallies or any other means of protest in busy areas. List of places where one cannot protest will be notified.’’ But the BJP show will be allowed as scheduled till September 7 as it is a sensitive issue, he said. It will be regulated to help traffic.
Police may choose Palace Grounds, Central College grounds, National College grounds and Malleswaram grounds to notify as areas where protests can be held.

The commissioner has written a letter to the government to earmark five to six acres of land on the premises of old central jail for allowing protest activities. The government is yet to take a decision.

The move is resisted by teachers and students of institutions near the jail. “Seshadri Road is a busy road where many buses ply. Any protest here will paralyse life, affecting activities in colleges and government offices nearby,’’ a teacher said.

Moreover, the premises cannot accommodate a huge crowd. It was demonstrated on Thursday by around 25,000 volunteers of AITUC and other organisations, who took out a protest march from city railway station to old central jail. The crowd spilled over to adjoining areas causing traffic jams in Majestic area and Anand Rao Circle for over an hour.

Is there a way out?