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Cauvery water row: Areas under curfew continue to simmer

Hegganahalli in Rajagopalnagar police station limits turned fortress as locals were angry with the police.

BENGALURU: A day after the city witnessed violent arson incidents, where 78 vehicles were set on fire and 44 vehicles vandalized, volatile situation prevailed throughout West and North Bengaluru on Tuesday, where the police had clamped Section 144 and imposed curfew.

In the morning, police went on announcing on their mikes regarding Section 144 and the imposition of curfew and warned citizens not to gather in groups or to protest.

Though it was Bakrid and all mosques were offering prayer services, the cops made sure that the shops were open only for about two hours between 9 am and 11 am for citizens to access essential commodities such as milk, vegetables and other rations. No violence was reported in any part of the city, the police confirmed.

Around 2,400 central police force personnel were deployed at the 16 police jurisdictions in West and North Bengaluru. While around 10 companies of personnel were deployed on Monday night, another 10 companies arrived in the city early Tuesday and were deployed at the sensitive areas where lawlessness ruled on Monday.

Hegganahalli in Rajagopalnagar police station limits, where the police resorted to firing on Monday that killed a 24-year-old man, turned fortress as locals were visibly angry with the police for the previous night’s incidents. Whenever there were small spurts of protests among the locals, the police mildly caned the protestors and dispersed them.

The security forces contained them from gathering again by performing flag marches in the area. Flag marches were also done in Magadi Road police station limits, Nayandahalli, Byatranayapura, Rajarajeshwarinagar and Kengeri on Tuesday morning to instill confidence among citizens and to enforce section 144 and curfew.

Apart from the two hours when few milk and vegetable shops remained open in the morning, every other commercial establishment throughout West and North Bengaluru remained closed with a bandh like situation on Tuesday.

Though tyres were seen still burning at few remote rural outskirts in West Bengaluru on Tuesday, city roads were void of traffic with burnt remnants of vehicles still strewn on the roads in and around Mysore Road. The city roads wore a deserted look by afternoon. BMTC and KSRTC were suspended in West and North Bengaluru.

Netizens seek police help for travel
While the city police force was trying hard to restore normalcy in the city, many commuters, who were forced to stay indoors after the city police imposed Section 144 in the city till Wednesday night, have taken to social media seeking police help to travel to reach their hometowns.

On Tuesday, many people stranded in different cities in Karnataka like Mysuru, Hassan and other cities and had planned to travel back to the city, approached the city police to take the stock of the situation and sought suggestions regarding the route to taken to the city.

Hetal Shah, a JP Nagar resident, said, “I am a resident of JP Nagar 7th phase. I am currently in Mysore. I along with my husband are thinking of travelling back to Bengaluru, on Wednesday. Is it safe to travel? If yes, by what means and preferable timings?”

Ms. Shah immediately got a response form the city police giving them a nod and replied, “Yes it is safe, you can travel.” Like Hetal there were hundreds of netizens who had posted queries on the social media site asking police to guide them. The official facebook page and twitter handle of Bengaluru city police was flooded with queries and congratulatory messages for restoring peace in the city on Tuesday.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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