Mangaluru: Districts in coastal Karnataka witnessed sporadic incidents of violence during the bandh called to protest against rising fuel prices on Monday with section 144 imposed in Udupi municipal limits till Tuesday 6 am after Congress and BJP workers came to blows Monday morning Cases have been booked for unlawful assembly and for obstructing the cops from doing their duty against ten political workers including six from the BJP and four from the Congress. The bandh received a mixed response in the coastal region with buses remaining off the roads. Videos of Congress workers trying to forcefully impose the bandh in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Karwar have gone viral on social media.
In Udupi, Congress workers were seen asking shopkeepers and business outlets to down shutters on Monday morning. In some places, they allegedly threw away buckets and other commodities kept for sale inside the shops while asking the owners to down shutters. Congress and BJP workers came face to face near Kadiyali with the Congressmen shouting slogans against PM Modi. The BJP workers retaliated by shouting slogans in support of Mr Modi. The party workers also clashed at Bannanje near the SP’s office leaving BJP Udupi city unit chief Prabhakar Poojary seriously injured. Efforts by the police led by SP Laxman Nimbargi to control both groups failed and they had to resort to a lathicharge to disperse the mob.
In Dakshina Kannada, stones were pelted at the vehicle of Bantwal MLA Rajesh Naik. A bus at Banwtal, two at Ambedkar Circle and a hotel at Shivabhag were also stoned. In Mangaluru, City South MLA and BJP leader Vedavyas Kamath had an argument with Congress workers near Ambedkar circle in the morning. The Congress workers were shouting slogan against PM Modi which made Mr Kamath stop his car and pick up an argument with them. He wanted the police to take immediate action against those who were involved in forcing a bandh. Congress workers were seen forcefully shutting down many shops in Uttara Kannada too with a video on this going viral on social media.
