Live Karnataka Bandh Live: Pro-Kannada activists protest across state amid 12-hour shutdown over language row

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda stated that no untoward incidents have been reported across the city. Authorities have implemented all necessary measures to prevent protesters from coercing anyone into supporting the bandh. He also confirmed that no detentions have been made so far.

The Karnataka Bandh saw a partial impact in Raichur, with the Osmania Wholesale Vegetable Market in the city centre remaining shut. However, several shops in the surrounding area remained open, though business activity was limited.

Karnataka Bandh: Police took Kannada activists into custody for protesting at the Channamma circle.

Pro-Kannada activists were detained by police when they were protesting at Town Hall to observe bandh on Saturday in Bengaluru.

Large number of protestors gathered in front of Town Hall in Bengaluru. Police at the spot are detaining the protestors and taking them to Freedom Park. A protest rally by workers of the Union of Kannada Organisations commenced from Circuit House in Belagavi and proceeded towards Channamma Circle.

In Bengaluru, the activists gathered at the Mysore Bank circle and raised slogans holding placards. Some activists staged a demonstration at the BMTC and KSRTC bus stand at Majestic in the state capital. The protestors appealed to the bus drivers and conductors to support the call for Bandh. As their agitation intensified, police took them under preventive custody.

In Davangere too, the protesters took to the streets. Sources in Belagavi said the KSRTC buses were plying as usual but there was restricted movement of buses from Maharashtra to this border town in north Karnataka, which was at the centre of the linguistic row. Besides the attack on a bus conductor at Balekundri, Panchayat officials were abused recently in Kinaye village in Belagavi for not speaking in Marathi.

In Mysuru, some pro-Kannada activists staged a sit-in protest by blocking buses at the suburban bus stand. They staged a dharna near the exit gate to block buses heading to Bengaluru and other parts of the state. Some members of pro-Kannada groups were taken into preventive custody after they attempted to stop a KSRTC bus in Mysuru.

A state-run bus conductor was allegedly assaulted by a group of Marathi-speaking youth for not conversing in the language, while on duty. The incident occurred last week, when the bus was plying from Belagavi city to Balekundri. Following this, inter-state bus services between Maharashtra and Karnataka were suspended, in a way escalating the decades-old border and language dispute between the two states. The border issue dates back to 1957 when states were reorganised on linguistic lines. Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, as it has a sizable Marathi-speaking population, and over 800 Marathi-speaking border villages that are currently a part of Karnataka. Karnataka maintained that the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report is final. To assert that Belagavi is an integral part of the state, Karnataka built the 'Suvarna Vidhana Soudha' there, modelled on the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the State Legislature and Secretariat in Bengaluru.

Some Kannada activists halted the screening of a Marathi movie on Friday evening in Belagavi. The screening of the movie 'Follower', which was released on Friday in both Belagavi and Maharashtra, was halted at the INOX theatre in the Camp area. The Shivarame Gowda faction of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike stopped the show, alleging that the movie contains the controversial border dispute issue in favour of Maharashtra.

Bus services: KSRTC and the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) unions have offered support towards the bandh, which might affect bus services across the state.

Ola, Uber: Third-party transport vendors such as Ola, Uber and a few rickshaw unions have also backed the bandh, which would disrupt transport. However, metro, railway and airport services will continue uninterrupted.

Banks: Banks will remain closed since it is a Saturday. Some schools and colleges might have holidays today, but there have been no official statements yet.

Eateries: Businesses, including restaurants and cinemas, have extended symbolic support after pro-Kannada organisations reached out to them, however, they are expected to remain operational.

Govt offices: Government offices will also be open, and all places providing healthcare or other essential services will be operational as well.

On February 28, Kannada Okkuta, an umbrella organisation representing various pro-Kannada groups, announced the statewide bandh from 6 am to 6 pm on March 22. Notably, prominent pro-Kannada groups—including the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike factions led by TA Narayana Gowda and Praveen Shetty—have refrained from participating in the bandh.

However, with transport services likely to be disrupted, the bandh is expected to impact lakhs of SSLC (class 10) students appearing for their exams today. State-run transport corporations, KSRTC and BMTC (Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation), will remain operational. However, a final decision will be taken today based on the situation on the ground, a senior transport department official said. Sources indicate that some auto-rickshaw, cab, and private driver unions have extended their support to the bandh, while hotel associations, malls, bars, and restaurants have only offered "moral support". Meanwhile, essential services—including pharmacies, hospitals, ambulances, petrol pumps, and metro services—will remain operational despite the bandh. 

According to Kannada Okkuta leader and activist Vatal Nagaraj, the statewide bandh is expected to receive widespread support, though there are uncertainties regarding the participation of some organisations.

Meanwhile, essential services—including pharmacies, hospitals, ambulances, petrol pumps, and metro services—will remain operational despite the bandh.

The bandh does not have the support of our organisation. The organisation will not participate in the bandh in any form," Karnataka Rakshana Vedike State President TA Narayana Gowda said in a statement. He added that large-scale protests were held in Belagavi after an official was attacked. A false POCSO case was also reportedly suppressed, and the inspector who registered the case was transferred. However, the police commissioner has assured that a bandh is unnecessary. 

According to reports, Metro services, BMTC and KSRTC buses, schools and colleges, markets, hospitals, and medical services will function as usual. Restaurants, hotels, bars, and pubs will also remain open.The bandh has been called as Kannada organisations demand strict action against those responsible for violence against Kannadigas and measures to prevent such incidents in the future. 

The Karnataka Private Schools Union has extended moral support, but other unions didn't give their support to the bandh and said Examinations are underway in many districts, including Bengaluru, and no holidays have been declared. Similarly, private colleges will remain open.

Pro-Kannada organizations, led by the Kannada Vatal Party, have called for a Karnataka Bandh on March 22 (Saturday) in protest against recent incidents in Belagavi, including an attack on a KSRTC bus conductor and vandalism of a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus in Maharashtra. The Karnataka Private Schools Union has extended moral support, but other unions didn't give their support to the bandh and said Examinations are underway in many districts, including Bengaluru, and no holidays have been declared. Similarly, private colleges will remain open.