Udupi : The police detained several motorbikes, riders and other agitators who had started off from various parts of the district in spite of the ban order to join the ‘Mangaluru Chalo’ motorbike rally here on Wednesday.

According to sources, the district police were able to seize 201 motorbikes at various places and detain 316 activists, who were, however, later released. In Hemmadi, 75 motorbikes were seized and 105 activists detained, in Kundapur 86 motorbikes were seized and 110 activists detained and in Hebri 40 motorbikes were seized and 101 agitators were detained and released later.

All these motorbike riders had intended to join the huge motorbike rally ‘Mangaluru Chalo’ organised in Mangaluru on September 7. The district administration had banned the rally.

MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary and Karkala MLA Sunil Kumar led the bike rallies from Kundapur and Hebri. Tight security was arranged in the Hebri-Mudradi area. The arrested protesters were shouting slogans against the Congress-led state government. District BJP president Mattar Ratnakar Hedge said that the Congress government is trying to suppress the justifiable act and demand, which is not fair.