Mangaluru : The students, staff and the management of St Aloysius institutions staged a protest against the renaming of the St Aloysius College Road as Sundararama Shetty Road. After a hour the state government passed a stay order on rechristening the road and urged to maintain status quo on Saturday.

In the stay order issued by under secretary to Department of Urban Development L Nagesh said that the government has stayed its order dated May 24, 2017, allowing to rechristen the road. Further, it has asked District-In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai to find an amicable solution to the row.

Vijaya Bank worker had planned to rename the road in a hurry on July 2. MLA J R Lobo on July 1 had written a letter to the state government against the renaming of the road.

Earlier in the day, more than 10,000 students, staffers, former students, members of several organisations and wellwishers, in a massive show of strength, voiced their strong protest against the renaming of the St Aloysius College Road.

The authorities have decided to rechristen the stretch as ‘Mulky Sundararama Shetty Road’ in honour of the founder of Vijaya Bank.

The mammoth procession, which started from the college, passed through Ambedkar Circle and Hampanakatta. The placards and slogans of the protests expressed their concern to the city corporation, corporators, legislators and the government in this regard.

A press release from Principal Rev Fr Praveen Martis said St Aloysius College strongly condemns the private parties inaugurating the road within city corporation jurisdiction. “Only the city corporation should officially organise the road inauguration function, if any. Private organisers inaugurating a road is illegal and unacceptable. We make an appeal to the District-In -charge Minister B Ramanath Rai, legislators, vorporators and other dignitaries not to legitimise an irregular programme by attending it,” the release said.

Since the police had requested the college not to hold a human chain protest on Sunday, the scheduled programme has been deferred, he said.

The core committee will chalk out the future course of action after waiting for a positive response from the MCC and the Government of Karnataka, said the release.

Earlier, the students of St Aloysius schools, PU, degree and postgraduate courses took part in the protest.

Prior to the protest march, principal Rev Fr Praveen Martis said the decision of the civic body to rename St Aloysius College Road has hurt the sentiments of Aloysians. The college has a vast history of 137 years and is one of the heritage institutions of Mangaluru. “This was St Aloysius College Road and it will forever be St Aloysius College Road.This will be a peaceful protest march demanding justice and retain the name of St Aloysious College Road,” he added.

Further, he said “We respect MulkySundararam Shetty’s contribution, but from the past several years, the name has been engraved on this road,” he added.

Chief Whip of the government in Legislative Council Ivan D’Souza, “We belong to one family and being an ex-Aloysian, I extend my support to the cause of St Aloysius College.”

Rector of St Aloysius College Fr Dionysius Vaz said, “I want the city to give due respect to the institution for its service during in the last 137 years.”

Catholic Sabha Mangalore Pradesh president Anil Lobo, former president of Konkani Sahitya Academy Roy Castelino and others were present.

The students held placards which read “All Roads Lead to Aloysius,” “It’s Not Just Road, It’s Respect Due,” “You Can’t Just Ignore14,000 Voices,” “Don’t Be Blind to the Injustice.”