Dec. 31 bandh: Kannada outfits not on same page

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Confusion prevailed over the proposed Karnataka Bandh on December 31 with two major Kannada organisations led by Praveen Shetty and Narayanagowda backing out contending that it would cause problems for citizens on the last day of 2021. However, Vatal Nagaraj, President, Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha and Sa Ra Govindu, Kannada film producer, have decided to go ahead with the bandh no matter who withdraws support. Nagaraj who was in Belagavi on Wednesday, told the media that there was no question of preponement or postponement of the state bandh at any cost.

Rally against bandh:

Karnataka Rakshana Vedike has convened a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) to decide on taking out a procession to Raj Bhavan in the city, urging the government not to allow the bandh on Friday. Narayanagowda claimed that his organization would not support Vatal Nagaraj in organising the bandh.

Shetty backs out:

Meanwhile, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Praveen Shetty faction) has withdrawn its support for the bandh after many organizations and the Kannada film fraternity opposed the bandh on the ground that the Kannada film industry is still recovering from two years of the pandemic. Several leading actors, Shivarajkumar, Yash and others had requested Vatal and his supporters to choose any other agitation than shutting down the whole state which would hit the economy.

In another development, Chadaragi, President of Belagavi District Kannada Vedike, said his organization would not support the bandh since people would be put to hardship. Since the state government had already initiated the process of imposing a ban on MES and Shiv Sena, calling for a bandh would cause inconvenience to Kannadigas due to cancellation of public transport and closure of shops.