Bandh not against govt: CM

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said the bandh called by pro-Kannada organisations did not have any major impact in Bangalore.

“The bandh was not against the government. It was the result of people venting their frustration. The shutdown was peaceful and did not cause any harm to people. We are satisfied with this,” he said at the Vidhana Soudha.

The chief minister said the government was taking stringent measures against rapists under the Goonda Act. It has also set up a committee headed by former MLC, M C Nanaiah, to look into matters pertaining to changing the law to include strict measures to be initiated against perpetrators of crime against women, he added.

Earlier, pro-Kannada activists met Siddaramaiah to impress upon him the need to implement stringent laws against rapists.

After the meeting with the chief minister and submitting a memorandum, Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha founder Vatal Nagaraj said the government had assured them that strict action would be taken against heinous offenders.

“The chief minister has told us that the government has already invoked the Goonda Act and that more strict measures will ensue,” said Nagaraj.

On the dispute at Yellur in Belgaum district, Nagaraj said the pro-Kannada organisations will be heading to Belgaum on Friday to give moral support to activists fighting against the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES).

The activists also demanded that the government ban MES. “It is being repeatedly seen that MES is trying to rake up one issue or the other in Belgaum with mala fide intentions. MES needs to be banned. The chief minister has assured us in this case that the government is also planning strict action against the Samiti,” he said.