Mysuru: Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj threatens Karnataka bandh over eviction of footpath vendors
Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj has threatened a state-wide bandh in Karnataka to protest the government's eviction of footpath vendors. He also criticized the administration's handling of drought-related issues and Dasara festival preparations.
Why it matters
The protest highlights the tension between urban development policies and the livelihoods of the informal street-vending sector.
Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj on Monday (July 13) threatened to call for a Karnataka bandh if the State government does not halt its eviction drive against footpath vendors.
Addressing reporters in Mysuru, Mr. Nagaraj alleged that the government led by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had begun “oppressing the poor” soon after assuming office by evicting street vendors across the State.
Condemning the drive, he said the affected vendors — many of whom sell vegetables, fruits, groundnuts and other items — depend on such livelihoods to support their families. He alleged that evictions were being carried out without prior notice in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Tumakuru and other parts of Karnataka.
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