Mangaluru : The district unit BJP members staged a protest against the non-appointment of a full time commissioner to the Mangalore City Corporation near District BJP office at Kodialbail here on December 22, Monday.

The police arrested BJP workers who had gathered to stage a black flag demonstration against minister for urban development Vinay Kumar Sorake, who was on a visit to the city. Meanwhile, the BJP leaders have said the party will stage black flag demons against the minister during all his visits to the city.

Speaking on the occasion BJP MLC K Monappa Bhandary said the Congress has snatched even this democratic means of protest against a development in the city body, which he claimed has stalled all growth related works. Alleging that the arrest was at the instance of Sorake, Bhandary said the minister had also exhibited an anti-democratic style of functioning by arriving late for the function that he was scheduled to attend in the city.

Bhandary also assailed the observation made by Mayor Mahabala Marla that development works in the City Corporation go on irrespective of fact that the civic body has full time commissioner or not. The Mayor’s observation had come in light of a similar protest that BJP workers and corporators had staged in front of MCC office at Lalbagh here seeking early appointment of a commissioner ahead of the general meeting of the council last month.

General Secretary of the district unit of BJP Sanjeev Matandoor said that the Congress had violated the Constitutional norms. Hundreds of issues have gone unattended due the non-availability of a Commissioner. Congress leaders internal clashes delayed the Commissioner’s appointment.

Corporator Premanand Shetty, Diwakr, Surendra,  Rajgopal, Kishore Kumar among others were present.