Udupi: Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Yuva Morcha staged a 'Go Back' protest against district minister Laxmi R Hebbalkar on Saturday, accusing the Congress-led state government of neglecting the development of Udupi district and adopting a 'stepmotherly attitude' towards it.
Protest near Deputy Commissioner's office
The demonstration took place near the Deputy Commissioner's office in Rajathadri when the minister arrived to participate in the KDP meeting. Protesters raised slogans against the government and attempted to move towards the road. Police personnel intervened, stopping them from proceeding further, and tightened security arrangements to maintain order.
Allegations of neglect
Addressing the protesters, Prithviraj Shetty alleged that the state government had weakened the public transport system in Udupi following the implementation of guarantee schemes. He claimed that more than 40 buses were operating under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) scheme in Udupi earlier, but now nearly 50% of those buses have stopped operations, causing significant inconvenience to commuters.
Shetty further accused the government of failing to complete the work on the Udupi district hospital, thereby causing hardship to poor patients who depend on government healthcare facilities. The protesters also criticised the government for allegedly ignoring several key issues affecting the district and demanded immediate attention to developmental works.
The protest highlights growing discontent among local BJP workers over what they perceive as inadequate attention to Udupi's infrastructure and public services. The Congress government, however, has not yet responded to these allegations.
