Bengaluru: Various Kannada organisations have called for a state-wide bandh on February 19 to protest the killing of the 40 CRPF jawans in a terror attack in Pulwama, Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, Mr Vatal Nagaraj, former MLA and president of the Karnataka Chaluvali Vatal Paksha (KCVP), said all educational institutions, business establishments, shopping malls, theatres, IT/BT companies, petrol pumps and other commercial establishments must remain shut to express their solidarity with the bereaved families of the soldiers.
“We will request the KSRTC and BMTC employees’ unions not to operate buses across the state as a mark of respect for the martyrs. A mammoth rally will be taken out from Town Hall to Freedom Park to show our commitment to the nation,” he added.
Urging the NDA government to launch a major offensive against terror organisations, which had been targeting Indian forces, he said the Pulwara incident was enough provocation for it to destroy all terrorist training camps on the other side of the Line of Control and flush out terrorists from the Kashmir valley.
Another Kannada activist, Sa Ra Govindu, said all cinema halls across the state would be requested to shut from dawn to dusk on February 19 and the film industry would be asked to suspend shooting for the day as a mark of respect for the brave soldiers of CRPF.
Autorickshaw and cab drivers would also be asked to extend their full support to the bandh, he added.
