A total of 71 members of the Udupi district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party were taken into preventive custody after they opposed Tipu Jayanti celebrations in Udupi and Karkala on Friday.
The district administration had clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to prevent any untoward incident during the celebrations.
The BJP workers, under the leadership of the former BJP MLA Raghupati Bhat and district unit president Mattar Ratnakar Hegde, shouted slogans and showed black flags against the State government in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here.
There was tight security around the Deputy Commissioner’s office and a large number of policemen were present. As soon as the protesters started shouting slogans and showing black flags, the policemen immediately took them into custody and put them in two buses and drove them away. They were later released.
Speaking to presspersons from the bus after being taken into custody, Mr. Bhat questioned the need for Tipu Jayanti under such tight security. The very fact that the district administration had to enforce prohibitory orders showed that there was not much support for the celebrations.
The number of people participating in the celebrations organised by the district administration was small. The hall had been filled by the staff of government departments and police personnel, he said.
According to the Superintendent of Police, Sanjeev M. Patil, the total number of BJP workers taken into preventive custody in Udupi was 31.
