Evicted from Jayanagar, Malleswaram by BBMP, street vendors warn of protest

BENGALURU: With the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) continuing with its drive to evict vendors from footpaths in busy market areas, displaced street vendors staged a protest in front of the Palike headquarters on Thursday condemning the action.

Street vendors’ association president Rangaswamy questioned whether Jayanagar MLA C K Ramamurthy was more powerful than the CM and the Deputy CM and alleged that the eviction drive was carried out in that area on the instructions of the MLA.

Street vendors from Jayanagar staged a protest at the BBMP headquarters on Thursday.

“The BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath has no knowledge of the law. Street vendors are being put to hardship though they have been issued licences. The BBMP commissioner is playing a double game and if we do not get justice, we will launch a day-night protest”, he warned.

After evicting street vendors from the Malleswaram market, the BBMP had carried out a similar drive around Jayanagar 4th Block complex. The street vendors say they were looking for some business in the festival season, but now their hopes are dashed.

Street vendors in Jayanagar being evicted by police and BBMP marshals.

Footpath vendors from Malleswaram said they had borrowed loans to run their businesses. “Now our lives have come to a standstill. We voted for this government, but it is doing injustice to us. Thousands of vendors in Malleswaram have been thrown to the streets. We don’t know anything else but trade and we should be allowed to continue as we can’t invest in lakhs to set up shops”, they said.

Meanwhile, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath justified the action saying that the street vendors are selling items which come under GST. To a question on shopkeepers themselves hiring people to sell on the footpaths, he said legal action will be taken against them.

The chief commissioner also said that those who have valid identity cards can continue their business, but they should do it 10 metres away from main roads in such a way that it does not inconvenience pedestrians.