District Congress protest against centre in Mangaluru stopped; leaders detained

District Congress protest against centre in Mangaluru stopped; leaders detained

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, December 22, 2025: A protest organised by the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee against the Central government was stopped by the police at Mallikatte on Monday, December 22.

The protest began at 10.45 a.m. with a foot march from the Congress Bhavan at Mallikatte towards the district BJP office, where the Congress planned to lay siege and stage a dharna. However, police stopped the march at Mallikatte itself.

The protest was held opposing the change in the name and structure of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The Congress also alleged that the BJP-led Central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi was misusing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), an autonomous agency, to conspire against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case.

As the foot march from Congress Bhavan proceeded and reached near the Kadri Gate, police detained the protesters and arrested them. Congress leaders and party workers were taken into custody and bundled into police buses. During the detention, protesters raised slogans and expressed strong anger against the Central government.

Those arrested included former minister Ramanath Rai, Ivan D’Souza, Mithun Rai, Suhan Alva, and several other Congress leaders and workers.