Mangaluru : The Vishwa Hindu Parishad members and Bajrang Dal, along with residents, staged a protest on Sunday against the district administration’s move to hand over part of the public graveyard to members of a community.

Jagadish Shenva, district president of the VHP, said that the district administration was going ahead with the handing over 26 cents of the graveyard to Noorul Islam Madrasa, in spite of objections.

The land from time immemorial was being used by Hindus, Brahma Samaj followers and Dalits.

This was also the place where the samadi of freedom fighter and Dalit activist Kudmal Ranga Rao was located, he said.

Kateel Dinesh Pai, VHP activist, said that the district administration was trying to fuel discord between communities by allotting a portion of the graveyard to members of a community .

The protesters took out a rally from Attavar Circle to the burial ground and raised slogans against the State government.