Karnataka Congress withdraws tomorrow's state-wide bandh due to PUC exams

BENGALURU: The Karnataka unit of the Congress has decided to withdraw the two-hour-long bandh it had called on March 9, as part of its fight against alleged corruption by the ruling BJP, in the wake of second-year Pre-University (Class 12) and other school and college exams in the state.

The Congress has decided to withdraw the symbolic Karnataka bandh which was supposed to be held tomorrow, due to the pressure from students and parents in the wake of school and college examinations, including the second PUC examination, the party's state unit President D K Shivakumar said in a statement.

He said this decision has been made after consultation with senior Congress leaders. The Congress had decided to hold a symbolic bandh for two hours from 9 am to 11 am on March 9 to protest the alleged rampant corruption by the BJP government and to demand the resignation of the Chief Minister.

Shivakumar said, "But students and parents expressed their concerns that bandh will cause inconvenience to them as there are exams. Their welfare is our priority. So respecting their feelings, we have decided to withdraw the bandh call."

Congress had called for a two-hour long bandh on Thursday, as part of its fight against alleged corruption by ruling BJP, following the recovery of over Rs 8 crore cash from its MLA Madal Virupakshappa's son Prashanth Kumar M V, by the Lokayukta, in an apparent bribery case.

The party had said that schools, colleges, transport and health services will not be disturbed, during the bandh, while appealing to all traders, shopkeepers to cooperate by shutting closing their shops and establishments for two hours.