Udupi: Malavika Avinash, actress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, said on Thursday that it was wrong on the part of the Congress government in the State to not allow the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and people to protest against the Tipu Jayanti celebrations.

Addressing presspersons here, Ms. Avinash said that the decision of the administrative machinery to clamp prohibitory orders during Tipu Jayanti could hardly be termed as democratic. People of Kodagu and Christians from the Coastal belt of the State were opposed to the Tipu Jayanti celebrations as Tipu Sultan had committed atrocities against Hindus and Christians, Ms. Malavika Avinash said.

The BJP’s Parivartan Yatre had not been given entry to Somwarpete and Virajpete in Kodagu district on the excuse of Tipu Jayanti. “Do political parties and people have no right to protest in a democracy? The State government has not respected this right” she asked. The Parivartana Yatre was getting good response and it informed people about the corruption and anti-people policies of the Siddaramaiah government, she said.

The yatre was also focusing on the developmental schemes and programmes taken up in the country by the Narendra Modi government since 2014. All the top BJP leaders including Mr. Yeddyurappa, Jagadish Shettar, K.S. Eshwarappa, R. Ashok, were participating in the Yatre, Ms. Avinash said.

Earlier, Ms. Avinash offered her prayers at the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple. She also met Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Pejawar Mutt there.