Cong extends support to transport workers' strike

Bengaluru: As the transport strike entered the third day on Saturday in the State, commuters continued to bear the brunt.

Till afternoon, only 112 buses of BMTC were operated.

The BMTC in a statement said, "Many conductors and other staff have reported for work and discharged their duty with police protection despite threat of BMTC uses being pelted with stones by miscreants."

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) extended support to the ongoing transport strike.

Congress MLA from Jayanagar, Soumya Reddy and KPCC president D K Shivakumar met the protesters at BMTC's Banashankari bus depot.

Soumya Reddy said, "It is reprehensible that the State government is intimidating employees with threats of invoking Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). Ironically, this government which is spending thousands of crores of money on a ropeway in the eco-sensitive zone of Kodachadri hills is not responding to the genuine demands of transport workers".

"Transport workers who served the people even during lockdown were forced to take to streets for their rights. I urge the government to respond to the demands of the employees immediately," she added.