Udupi: As many as 50 BJP leaders, workers and others taken into custody when they tried to hold protest against state government sponsored Tipu Jayanti near Deputy Commissioner’s office here in Udupi on Friday. The workers have been arrested at the venue of the event as a preventives measure to maintain peace and security in the region.

Udupi district superintendent of police deployed large number of police personnel near DC office as part of the security measures for the event. However, the BJP workers raised slogans against the event and subsequently taken into custody by the police. BJP leaders Raghupati Bhat, Mattaru Ratnakar Hegde, Prabhakar Poojary, Shreesha Nayak, Shyamala Sunder, Sandhya Ramesh and party workers taken into custody by the police.

Meanwhile, the absence of Udupi district incharge minister Pramod Madhwaraj in the event was a surprise for the people assembled. However, Kapu MLA Vinay Kumar Sorake inaugurated the event in the absence of the minister.