Mangaluru, Sep 30: Congress leaders including Mangaluru North MLA Mohiuddin Bava and MLC Ivan D’Souza on Wednesday took a lead role in the Nagarika Horata Samithi’s protest against toll booth near NIT-K Surathkal and blocked the highway at least for an hour.
Commuters between Mangaluru and Udupi had to suffer for over an hour as the protest led to traffic jam. The protesters blocked the highway at 10.50 a.m. There was long line of vehicles stranded on the either side of the busy highway.
Among those affected by the snap protest included a resident of Bengaluru who was rushing to meet his daughter admitted in a hospital in Manipal. He was seen beseeching protestors to make way for his vehicle to see his ailing daughter.
The police did little to move away the protesters from the highway. It was only around noon that the protestors relented and allowed the vehicles to move. No case was registered with the Surathkal Police for blocking the traffic.
Addressing protesters, Mr. Bava said there was no question of allowing operation of the toll plaza on the narrow stretch of the highway in the absence of a service road. Mr. Bava said only two counters had been built on either sides of the highway, which, he said, would cause hindrance to movement of vehicles. There should be a total of 10 counters — five on either side. “Unless this is done we will not allow this toll plaza to function,” he threatened.
Mr. D’Souza said the High Court orders were being mentioned as a reason for allowing operation of the toll plaza. “But we cannot obey those orders. For us you (people) are the High Court and the Supreme Court,” he said.
Members of District unit of the Youth Congress, Democratic Youth Federation of India, All College Students Association and other organisations joined the protest.
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