Bangalore: There was confrontation between the BBMP officials and hawkers at K. R. Market on Friday, when the former tried to carry out a demolition drive. A hawker tried to commit suicide and the civic officials had to later postpone the drive.
A contingent of BBMP ofÂÂfiÂcials and machinery had reached the spot early morning to evict hawkers and deÂmÂoÂlish a commercial coÂmÂÂplex to widen Sethuram Road.
The vendors threatened to commit suicide and ghÂerÂaoÂed the mayor. They alleged that they were not given prior eviction notice. HÂoÂwÂevÂer, BBMP sources claimed thÂat several notices were seÂrvÂed to the fruit vendors in the complex and street vendors and they were unwilling to move.
The situation worsened when a vendor poured kerosene on himself and threatened to commit suicide. Mayor Katte Satyanarayana too tried to persuade the vendors, but in vain.
Later Chamarajpet MLA Zameer Ahmed intervened and the BBMP postponed the demolition drive to Monday. He convinced the BBMP to provide them time to shift their belongings.
BBMP commissioner M Lakshminarayan called for a meeting with the vendors on Monday and said they would try to make them understand the situation.
