BENGALURU: Thousands of midday meal (bisio ota) workers, mostly women, who arrived here from across the state for an indefinite protest on Monday, were prevented from leaving bus stands and railway stations across the city. Reason: Police said they didn't have permission for the dharna at Freedom Park.
After the protesting workers' leaders were detained or kept under house arrest late Sunday night or early Monday morning across the state, police contingents were present in full strength at KSR City and Yeshwantpur railway stations and also the KSRTC bus stand in Subhashnagar.
As protesters arrived by train at KSR station, police cordoned them off and made them sit at one place. Several were detained when they tried to leave Yeshwantpur railway station. Police sources said they were acting on the government's order to prevent workers from demonstrating in Bengaluru.
In Bengaluru, Karnataka State Midday Meal Workers' Association president S Varalakshmi, who was staying in a community hall at Mahalakshmi Layout, was whisked away to Jnanabharathi police station around 7.30am. She said her mobile was snatched and it was not returned to her until she was released around 5pm.
"For more than 10 hours, police did not allow me to speak to my workers or anyone else. Is holding a demonstration undemocratic? The government clearly used police to browbeat our protest but the numbers say something else," she said.
Varalakshmi said they called off the strike as the government said it would hold a meeting to discuss their demands on February 13. She claimed over 10,000 workers had reached Bengaluru.
Accor ding to sources, po lice in Nanjangud on Sunday night detained 150 midday meal workers. They were released only after they gave an undertaking they would not take part in any protest.
Ben galuru Kalamma, a midday meal workers' leader in Vijayapura and Lakshmidevamma in Sidlaghatta of Chikkaballapura were confined to their homes.
The workers' demands include a hike in remuneration and their minimum monthly wages.
After the protesting workers' leaders were detained or kept under house arrest late Sunday night or early Monday morning across the state, police contingents were present in full strength at KSR City and Yeshwantpur railway stations and also the KSRTC bus stand in Subhashnagar.
As protesters arrived by train at KSR station, police cordoned them off and made them sit at one place. Several were detained when they tried to leave Yeshwantpur railway station. Police sources said they were acting on the government's order to prevent workers from demonstrating in Bengaluru.
In Bengaluru, Karnataka State Midday Meal Workers' Association president S Varalakshmi, who was staying in a community hall at Mahalakshmi Layout, was whisked away to Jnanabharathi police station around 7.30am. She said her mobile was snatched and it was not returned to her until she was released around 5pm.
"For more than 10 hours, police did not allow me to speak to my workers or anyone else. Is holding a demonstration undemocratic? The government clearly used police to browbeat our protest but the numbers say something else," she said.
Varalakshmi said they called off the strike as the government said it would hold a meeting to discuss their demands on February 13. She claimed over 10,000 workers had reached Bengaluru.
Accor ding to sources, po lice in Nanjangud on Sunday night detained 150 midday meal workers. They were released only after they gave an undertaking they would not take part in any protest.
Ben galuru Kalamma, a midday meal workers' leader in Vijayapura and Lakshmidevamma in Sidlaghatta of Chikkaballapura were confined to their homes.
The workers' demands include a hike in remuneration and their minimum monthly wages.
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