MANGALURU: With private buses , the lifeline of coastal city, being off the roads on Monday, the Congress called nationwide bandh is likely to be total and affect normal life in the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.The district administrations of the two coastal cities on Sunday declared holiday for all educational institutions here on Monday in view of the bandh to maintain law and order and avoid any untoward incidents.Meanwhile, MLC Ivan D’Souza on Sunday called on all classes of people cutting across political affiliations to support the countrywide bundh called on Monday, terming the rise in prices of essential commodities an Emergency situation.Ivan said the “Emergency” was because of the Centre’s crony capitalist policies and there was a need to fight this. He said a memorandum has already been submitted to the district administration requesting closure of schools and colleges as the buses will not operate. On Saturday, the Canara Bus Owners Association, Dakshina Kannada District Bus Owners Association and Udupi Bus Owners Association in a joint press release had announced that private buses will remain off road in the two districts on Monday because of rise in diesel prices and non-revision of bus fares. Rajavarma Ballal from the Association said the bus fares were increased five years back and the difference between the diesel price in 2013 and now was Rs 28. "We cannot operate buses with the cost of fuel being so high," he said demanding a roll back of prices and bring petroleum products under GST.Batting for the bus operators, Ivan said a bus required at least 400 litres of petrol a day and the operator had to shell out an additional Rs 800 – Rs 1,000 on a daily basis to afford fuel. He said the operators' demand was logical as the central government had left them with no option but protest.The Modi government needs to inform the people as to where the tax paid by 130 crore people is being utilised," he said as he posted stickers on buses informing the public of bus bundh.The CPI in a press release expressed its support to the bundh. It said the Centre did not reduce fuel price when the international market rates on crude oil were low. However, the government was quick enough to hike the prices every time the rates escalated in the foreign market.The Social Democratic Party of India expressed it's full support to Bharath bandh against sky rocketing petrol price being anti-people governance and utter negligence of the central BJP government."After BJP attaining power in the center petrol and gas price has been on a high continuously. Though crude oil price has declined drastically in the international market the central government has been depriving the people by raising the fuel price. The people of the country are fed up of the governance of BJP which pushed the nation into fear and economic misery," said SDPI state President Elyas Muhammad Thumbe. He urged all secular forces to unite against anti-people governance of the central BJP government. All India Mahila Empowerment Party has said it will not support the bandh. Azzfar Razack, DK district president of the party said its members believed bandh was not the solution but would further add to national loss.BJP cries foulMeanwhile, the BJP has termed the bundh call politically motivated. Sanjeeva Matandoor, DK district president, BJP said the opponent parties wanted to observe bundh keeping in mind the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

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