NSUI holds dharna seeking bus shelters

HUBBALLI: Activists of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) who staged a dharna on Gokul Road after being denied permission to take out a procession were arrested by twin cities’ police on Saturday, and released soon after.
NSUI wanted to take out a procession to demand the reconstruction of bus shelters that had been demolished to make way for the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor.
Since police refused permission to the activists to take out the procession, they gathered at the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) office on Gokul Road to stage a dharna. However, when the protesters tried to enter the office to submit a memorandum, they were arrested. The activists were subsequently released by police in the evening.
NSUI’s Dharwad district secretary Gayaz Khan, also known as Irfan Pathan, said that, from students to elderly citizens, people had to endure both scorching heat and heavy rain owing to the lack of bus shelters at many stops in the twin cities. “We were planning on submitting our memorandum to the NWKRTC managing director, but police did not allow us,” he said.
Taking umbrage at police arresting the activists, Congress functionary Rajat Ullagaddimath said, “Government has failed to construct bus shelters, but is trying to suppress an agitation using police. Soon, the Congress will hand out umbrellas to bus commuters as a gesture of protest against the government’s inaction.”