The Karnataka elections had caught the attention of the whole country right from the campaigning phase to the final government formation by JD(S)-Congress coalition. Many things had taken place in the midst of all this, BJP had failed to secure trust votes in the government it had formed under B.S. Yeddyurappa, BJP emerged as the single largest party in the state but failed to get clear majority in the state. The reasons for BJP’s win were many but the reason it failed to win seats in urban areas can be attributed to the holiday announced by Siddaramaiah. Polling in Karnataka was held on weekends, Siddaramaiah had cunningly announced a day off to add to the festive mood of the people of Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru. The unexpected leave made people go on short trips and take vacations instead of going to the polling booths. This hold especially for many urban and semi-urban areas where people would have otherwise voted for the BJP, had they not been lured by Congress to skip the polls. The people from Bengaluru are the first to bear the brunt of their decision to skip voting.
Recently Ashok Nagar police in Bengaluru raided a bar cum restaurant in Residency Road for running a live band. This raids shows that the Bengaluru city police had started following the orders of the new government . Times Bar and Restaurant located on Residency Road which was raided by the police officials had a live band performing and the management was booked under Section 294 (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place). The police personnel who raided the bar also alleged that skimpily clad women were found dancing at the bar. The women performing were initially employed as female bartenders but were later asked to entertain the customers by singing and dancing. While that might be the case for this particular bar but police crackdown is going to take place on almost all places which have live band performances in the city.
There are over 100 bars and it might soon come under the radar of the police forces. These bars will be facing sealing and a possible closure in the days to come, moral policing is being conducted by the police forces at the behest of the Congress-JD(S) government. These raids will lead to further losses for the people of Bengaluru and for the bar and restaurant owners as well. The people of Bengaluru are facing a threat to their nightlife, but people are also stating that they deserve this and considering their apathy towards voting. This should be taken as an example for the coming years and the people of other states too should remember that when the time comes they need to go out and vote for the greater good.