BANGALORE
A first-hand account on how miscreants resorted to sadistic measures to enforce the bandh.
A bandh is supposed to be in protest against one issue or the other. But cronies of a few politicians on Thursday ably demonstrated how it works out to their advantage to arm-twist the common man.
I was witness to it when even an ambulance with a patient needing emergency treatment was stopped by these sadists at Rajanakunte, Singhanayakanahalli, Yelahanka and Nagenahalli Gate.
It was disgusting to see a few henchmen of local politicians who apparently lacked knowledge that essential services are exempt from a strike. I was shocked to see a group of people not allowing even an ambulance with emergency sirens hooting and two-wheeler riders to reach their respective destinations especially when BMTC buses had stopped plying on Wednesday night itself despite their promises not to withdraw services.
The activists of BJP and other political parties started stopping two-wheelers from 6 am on Thursday. And they were enjoying it. I was coming from Marasandra on Doddaballapur Road at around 7 am and reached Rajanukunte where a 100 people had gathered to block the road. They even blocked the footpaths.
I asked them why they had blocked the road. They said it was due to the bandh and made it clear they would not allow anyone to pass, and blamed the people in the vehicles for “not knowing about the bandh”.
Any attempt on my part to convince them that bandh did not mean stopping ambulances fell on deaf ears.
On the contrary, they blamed the diesel price hike on an increase in two-wheelers. I was stumped over the connection between the two. But they obviously had their way because of sheer numbers.
The ambulance which was blocked by the cronies of local politicians (read miscreants) was carrying a patient in need of urgent treatment, and the sirens were on. But that did not make sense to the mob. Not in the least.
Instead, they rudely informed the trembling ambulance driver that he would not be allowed to proceed further as there was a bandh. I pleaded with the so-called agitators to allow the ambulance to proceed but they told me to “shut-up”. (“Who are you to talk when the ambulance driver himself is quiet?”).
Only after a few minutes of arguments, did they allow the ambulance, but not by the main road but by the mud road with the patient almost being thrown around like a rag doll. So much for the value of a life!
There was also a family of three on motor cycle which was headed towards Yelahanka from Doddaballapur. The woman was seen pleading with the agitators to allow them to go but the miscreants sternly informed her that she would have to wait.
These strange incidents forced me to ask: “Who is organising this kind of a protest?”
They said it was Bahujan Samaj Party chief Marasandra Muniyappa. When I called Muniyappa over the phone to complain about his supporters, he said he was not supporting any protest.
He then asked me to handover my the phone to one of the agitators who introduced himself to Muniyappa and told him that they will not allow anyone to use vehicles to commute and disconnected the phone call.
Some of the miscreants also claimed to be supporters of Yelahanka MLA R Vishwanath. When I called Vishwanath, the mob allowed two-wheelers to proceed.
A little ahead, when I reached Singanayakanahalli, more than 300 people had gathered to block the road by keeping wooden logs, iron rods and vehicles, that too just 100 metres from Vishwanath’s house. I again was forced to argue with the protesters. They informed me that Vishwanath ‘Anna’ has told them to block the road. When I questioned them, they asked me to go to Vishwanath’s house and seek his permission to be allowed to proceed.
Later, when DNA contacted Vishwanath, he said people being rude during protest was not new in this area. He said even deputy chief minister KS Eashwarappa had been forced to get out of vehicle and walk during a bandh some time ago.
A little further when the road was again blocked at Nagenahalli gate, I came across a head constable of Yelahanka Newtown police and asked him why the policemen remained mum while protesters troubled the common people; to which he said, “Let them stop vehicles. What’s wrong in that? When deputy commissioner of police (north-east) G Ramesh came and merely told the protesters to protest peacefully and left, why should we try to stop them?”
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