The Left's sinister agenda spreads: AITUC rally cripples Bangalore

Buses bear brunt of B’lore rally
Deccan Herald

Scores of BMTC buses were damaged in various parts of the City and an initial estimate put the damage to the property at Rs 30 lakh.

Around 70 BMTC buses were damaged and three drivers were injured, when a protest rally under the aegis of All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) turned violent on Saturday afternoon, throwing traffic out of gear for over five hours in many parts of the City.

If it was frustrating for the commuters enjoying the weekend outing, it was tragic for Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), that suffered losses to the tune of Rs 30 lakh in one day. The protesters resorted to stone-pelting and damaged BMTC buses in various parts of the City, including Yelahanka, Peenya, Corporation Circle, Majestic, Anand Rao Circle, Kempe Gowda Road, Lingarajpuram and Bannerghatta Road.

Though the police had diverted the routes of the buses in certain areas, anticipating trouble, the protesters had spread out in different locations to disrupt the bus services.

According to eye-witnesses, the protesters arrived in Swaraj Mazdas to stop BMTC buses from plying, and resorted to stone-pelting in a desperate bid to stop the moving buses. There were no reports of passengers being injured.

Three BMTC drivers were rushed to hospitals when some glass splinters entered their eyes in the violence.

The incident resulted in traffic jams that lasted for nearly five hours on Magadi Road, Rajajinagar, Malles-waram, Sheshadri Road and Nrupatunga Road, J C Road and Town Hall.

Trouble erupted near Banappa Park on K G Road at around 12:45 pm when a police inspector nabbed a protester who was stoning a bus. Enraged by this, other protesters who were staging a dharna against the alleged anti-labour policies of the State government, tried to attack the police platoon which was stationed there.

Police resorted to lathi charge to scatter the mob. Six buses were damaged.

However, the exact extent of the damage to buses will be known only after reports are received from respective BMTC depots, the Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) H C Kishore Chandra said.

The police took into custody more than 10 protesters.