Protests in Bengaluru over new PF rules turn violent

Workers of a garment factory took to the streets and blocked traffic on the busy Mysore-Bengaluru highway and set many vehicles ablaze on Tuesday to protest amendments to the provident fund rules, police and eyetwinesses said.

Some 20 people were arrested and police fired warning shots as stone pelting protestors attacked the Hebbagodi police station, a police officer said. The mob also set afire vehicles parked near the police station, he said.

The workers have been protesting since Monday against changes the central government mooted in provident fund withdrawal rules.

The central government on Tuesday kept in abeyance for three more months the move to bar the withdrawal of the employer's contribution to the provident fund corpus until the employee attains the age of 58 years.