City gears up for Advani Yatra

Mangalore, October 30: The police have a tough task of maintaining law and order in next 24 hours as the much publicised Jan Chetan Yatra of BJP veteran L K Advani will be rolling into this sensitive coastal city on Monday morning amidst protests and criticism.

On Sunday leaders and workers of Dakshina Kannada district BJP, youth and students wings, were engaged in hectic preparations to welcome the Yatra while the district unit of Youth Congress staged a protest in front of Mangalore City Corporation and vent their anger at scam hit BJP led state government.

The agitating Congress workers, sporting masks of jailed BJP leaders including former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, G Janardhana Reddy, Katta Subramanya Naidu and S N Krishnaiah Setty, raised slogans against the so called anti-corruption rally.

An eerie atmosphere prevailed for more than half an hour when the protesters and the campaign vehicle of Yuva Morcha became face to face, when the formers were getting ready for 'road blockade' after garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in front of MCC.

The agitators began to intensify their anti-Advani slogans after seeing the saffron vehicle depicting the portrait of former deputy prime minister. However, dozens of policemen intervened and pave the way for Yuva Morcha vehicle to continue its awareness rally.

Grand Preparation

According to district BJP chief Padmanabh Kottari, the BJP workers from every booth level will take part in the public meeting to be held at Nehru Maidan on Monday morning. Various committees have been constituted to look into the preparations for the yathra in the district.

Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Jagadish Shettar, Higher Education Minister Dr V S Acharya, Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje, BJP State President K S Eshwarappa are expected to take part in the meeting.

The district BJP on Monday launched Janachethana padayathra from Belthangady to Mangalore covering 60 km as part of the Janachethana Yathra. The padayathra commenced after offering pooja at Kuthyaru Sri Somanatheshwara Temple at 6.30 am. Senior advocate Nemiraj Shetty, District-in-Charge Minister Krishna Palemar, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel took part in the flagging off of the padayathra along with hundreds of party workers. The Padayathra reached Mangalore at around 10 pm.

Hundreds of the BJP workers on Monday morning are expected to take out another padayathra from Ladyhill, Mangaladevi and Jyothi Circle to the convention venue. From Mangalore, Advani will travel to Udupi and then later to Murdeshwar, Karwar and Goa.

As part of Advani's yathra, the BJP Yuva Morcha will carry out two-wheeler rally from Mangala Stadium to the Central Maidan on Monday at 9 am. The rally will pass through Lalbagh-PVS Circle-Navbharath Circle-K S Rao Road before reaching the Central Maidan.

Traffic Diversions

Meanwhile, Dakshina Kannada district administration has announced change in traffic flow in account of Yatra on Monday. The curbs on traffic flow will be in force from 6 am until such time that the Jan Chetana Yatra leaves for Udupi, where Advani is scheduled to address a public meeting at Rajangana ground later in the afternoon.

Parking vehicles on either side of the road from Bajpe airport to Circuit House junction has been banned.

No parking will be allowed on either side of the road from Circuit House-KPT Nanthoor-Shivbhagh-Agnes-Horticulture-Balmatta-Ambedkar Circle-Balmatta Road-Hampankatta-UP Mallya Road-A B Shetty Circle.

The parking of vehicles has been banned on AB Shetty Circle-Hampankatta-Light House Hill Road-Dr Ambedkar Circle-Balmatta-Horticulture-KPT-Kuntikana. No vehicles can be parked from Kottara to Mulky on NH 66.

All the vehicles which come from the programme can be parked at Upper Maidan, Old Kent Road, Mangaladevi Road, Post Office Road (one side) and Rosario Road (one side).

The movement of all kinds of vehicles from A B Shetty Circle to Clock Tower junction has been banned from 10:00 am till the conclusion of the programme.