Protests hold up traffic

Protests hold up traffic
Deccan Herald

Long traffic hold-ups have become the order of the day in the City and Monday proved to be exceptionally trying, as series of protests halted vehicular traffic on many areas. Mysore Bank Circle was the worst affected, with four organisations staging protests near the Circle between 11am and 12 noon, the peak hour.

Nripathunga Circle, Sheshadri Circle, K R Road, Majestic Flyover, Race Course Road, Basaveshwara Circle and Ambedkar Veedhi - along with their connecting roads - were also considerably hit.

Seven organisations - Basavangudi Block Congress, CPM, Republic Party of India, Bangalore City JD(S), the State unit of Socialist Unity Centre of India, Dalit Panthers of India and Federation of Bar Associations of Karnataka went on the protest mode on Monday.

The Federation of Bar Associations of Karnataka went on a flash strike on Nripathunga Road at 11 am, halting vehicular movement from Nripathunga Road to Hudson Circle for more than an hour.

Traffic piled up near Mysore Bank Circle as CPM activists, contract employees of KPTCL and Escoms attached to SUCI and Bangalore City JD(S) unit staged protests.

CPM workers demanded the resignation of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy following bribery allegations raised against him, while the JD(S) activists held a demonstration demanding an end to protests against the Chief Minister over the bribery controversy. They also burnt an effigy of suspended BJP MLC Janardhana Reddy at the Circle.

The Republic Party of India held a dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi Statue, demanding a CBI inquiry into the charges of illegal mining in the State.

The activists of Basavangudi Block Congress demanded a probe into the allegations of illegal mining and bribery charges made by Janardhan Reddy and staged a demonstration in front of Ramakrishna Ashrama in Girinagar.

KPTCL and Escom contract employees staged a demonstration urging the State Government to reconsider the termination of their services.