Irrespective of whether the government will allow the BJP Yuva Morcha to hold a protest rally or meeting in the city on Thursday, a defiant BJP late on Tuesday decided to take out a procession from Ambedkar Circle to the office of the Deputy Commissioner on September 7, according to sources in the party.
The sources told The Hindu that State president of the BJP B.S. Yeddyurappa and other leaders, including Jagdish Shettar and Arvind Limbavali, would arrive in the city late on Wednesday to address the protest meeting the next day.
If the police prevented the procession, the party workers have decided to court arrest, the sources said.
They said that the party workers from different parts of Dakshina Kannada and neighbouring Udupi would participate in the procession.
They said that the police have suggested that the party workers hold their protest meeting at the Nehru Maidan and not in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner. But officially no permission had been given till late Tuesday to conduct the protest meeting either in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner or at the Nehru Maidan.
Meanwhile, addressing media persons here on Tuesday, Sanjeev Matandoor, president of the Dakshina Kannada unit of the BJP, said that the workers would hold a protest in the city on Thursday. He said that the party has sought permission to hold the protest meeting at the Nehru Maidan. But the police have not permitted it.
Meanwhile, Police Commissioner T.R. Suresh said that more than 100 Rapid Action Force personnel and 10 platoons each of the Karnataka State Reserve Police and City Armed Reserve police personnel have been deployed in different parts of the city to maintain law and order.
More than 100 police personnel from other parts of the State are being requisitioned, he said.
On Tuesday, the city police conducted a route march of the RAF, KSRP and CAR personnel in communally sensitive areas in Ullal, including Mogaveerpatna, Kotepura, Kodi, Paris Junction and Thokkottu junction.
