‘Would have supported students even if they protested against Canara College’: MLA Vedavyas Kamath

‘Would have supported students even if they protested against Canara College’: MLA Vedavyas Kamath

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Oct 13, 2026: BJP MLA Vedavyas Kamath has said he would have supported students protesting against any college if they were in the right, even if the institution was Canara College, where his father had studied.

Speaking at a press conference at the Atal Seva Kendra in Mangaluru, Kamath said he would speak out against wrongdoing irrespective of the institution involved. He added that he would have held a press conference in support of the students even if the protest had been against Canara College.

Referring to the recent student protest, Kamath alleged that students, including one who raised the slogan ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, were assaulted. He claimed that the district in-charge minister and MLC Ivan D’Souza were responsible for the incident, alleging that the attack could not have taken place without their involvement.

Kamath cited an earlier incident at Milagres College, where three students allegedly assaulted a Christian priest who was serving as the principal. He said that during a subsequent protest attended by around 800 people in support of the priest, he had spoken against the students involved in the incident.

“Whoever commits a mistake, we will speak out against it fearlessly,” he said.

On the issue of postponing examinations, Kamath said it was not his responsibility to determine which colleges should conduct examinations and which should defer them. He maintained that the government should take the necessary decision and said his party was not responsible for bringing students out to protest.

He added that the question of postponing examinations was a matter between the college management and students, and that he had not intervened in it.

However, Kamath alleged that female students were pushed during the protest despite the absence of women police personnel. He said he had called the district in-charge minister, Ivan D’Souza, the Deputy Commissioner and the Police Commissioner, urging them to intervene and prevent the situation from escalating.

Questioning why the alleged assault continued despite his appeals, Kamath asked whether such an incident could have occurred without the support or protection of the government.