Bengaluru, March 22 -- Pro-Kannada groups' are holding 12-hour statewide bandh across the state in protest against the alleged assault on a bus conductor in Belagavi for not speaking Marath. The Pro-Kannada groups claim they are being stopped by the satet police.

Ravi Shetty Byndoor, Chairman of the Labour Council and a pro-Kannada activist on Saturday alleged that the state government is using the Police to suppress them.

"The government is using the Police to suppress us. Vatal Nagaraj has called for a bandh. For that, many people have voluntarily come forward to go on a bandh. We are here to convince the bus drivers and operators. But they are stopping us. The government is sending us notice after notice. What are we, goons? We will ...