Bengaluru: Many Bengaluru residents were left without their morning cup of tea and cigarette Thursday as hundreds of neighbourhood tea stalls, pan shops and cigarette stalls remained shut, as traders gathered at Freedom Park to protest the alleged harassment by police and Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) marshals.Thousands of traders owning pan shops, bakeries, condiment stores and other small establishments participated in the protest organised under the banner of the Karnataka State Labour Council. They urged state govt to act against manufacturers and suppliers of tobacco products instead of targeting small retailers.The protesters also demanded amendments to existing rules to permit the sale of loose cigarettes, arguing that selling only full packets, as currently mandated, is not commercially viable for them.Karnataka State Labour Council activist, Ravi Shetty (Byndoor) accused authorities of selective enforcement. “Police and marshals target small traders instead of acting against large companies that manufacture and supply tobacco products,” he said.Several traders alleged that enforcement officials routinely seize tobacco products and fail to return them even after fines are paid, resulting in heavy financial losses. Jithin T, a trader from Horamavu, said the problem becomes particularly severe around World No Tobacco Day on May 31. “We have no option but to close our shops so that our stock is not seized,” he said. A native of Kannur in Kerala, Jithin added many traders temporarily return to their hometowns during this period to avoid losses.Bhojaraj MS, a trader from Vijayanagar, claimed, “Authorities want supply to continue so that tax revenues are not affected. At the same time, they harass us, sometimes using foul language.”Another trader, Sudhakar N from Vidyaranyapura, said fines often run into several thousand rupees. He also alleged in some cases, officers accepted smaller amounts and returned only part of the seized stock.The protesters demanded an end to the alleged harassment, transparent enforcement of tobacco regulations and amendments to rules governing cigarette sales, while urging the govt to focus action on manufacturers rather than vendors.
