Bus services were hampered across Karnataka on the second day of the two-day nationwide strike called on Wednesday by trade unions against the alleged repressive labour policies of the Narendra Modi government. The strike caused severe inconvenience to commuters; hundreds of protesters from the Left trade unions disrupted the bus services at Majestic, the Central Bus Stand here, Transport Department officials said.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation(KSRTC) buses also remained stationed in their respective depots across the state as protesters damaged the vehicles. The auto-rickshaws and drivers of cab aggregators did not take part in the strike on the second day after initial support for a few hours on Tuesday.
In the state capital, the protesters led by the All India Trade Union Congress(AITUC) staged demonstration at the Town Hall and Majestic and took out a massive rally resulting in severe traffic jam. The trade union workers took out rallies in several parts of the state holding placards, staged demonstration, flags and raised slogans against the central government and burnt the effigy of prime minister to vent their anger against the central government’s policies for workers.
Some schools and colleges in the city remained shut while the Metro rail was the saviour for commuters as its services remained unaffected. Police said that the attempts were made to disrupt the train services but it was foiled by them and the Railway Protection Force. People, however, went about their day-to-day activities as usual.
The organisers said that the rallies were taken out in Kalaburagi, Hubballi, Bagalkote, Karwar, Chikkodi, Hubballi, Udupi and Vijayaura. Agitators hurled stones at the KSRTC buses on Magadi Road and near Yelahanka in Bengaluru and pelted stones on some of the trains in Kalaburagi and Ballari, railways sources said. Proper arrangements were made in the state to ensure if law and order, and safety of public and government vehicles during the Strike on Wednesday.
