Udupi:  Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and activists were arrested before Siddaramaiah Chief Minister of Karnataka state arrival to Town Hall Udupi for the programme to lay the foundation stone for Multi specialty Maternity and Children Hospital at Udupi.

BJP demands with black flags to withdraw the decision made by Congress government for the construction of Karnataka Government Kusamma Shambu Shetty Haji Abdualla Memorial Maternity and Children Hospital in Udupi with non- resident Indian businessman B. R. Shetty for developing it on PPP model.

Former MLA Raghupathy Bhat said that we do not protest for the development, but we protest against the single handed decision to giving to non-resident Indian which not consulted prior to the decision with the local MLAs, MP nor anyone even some of the former congress MLAs. We have strongly doubt that there will be some deal and corruption. Pramod Madhwaraj hasn't done anything for the people of Udupi. The running hospital of the poor will be given into the hands of rich people. There is no tender for the construction either of the hospital nor cabinet decision copy and copies of the memorandum of understanding. We need the clarification of the decision, he said.

Sunil Kumar MLA of Karkala said that BJP’s decision against the said project due to various blind decisions of the government. During the Dr. V. S. Achar time BJP government provided Rs 5 crores for the Ajjarkad Hospital. There is a lot of difference between private and public hospital. The running hospital giving to the private sector will be a shame for the government.

Kota Srinivas Poojary MLC and Mattar Rathanakar Hegde also spoke prior to the arrest of the leaders and activists at Jodukatte. All the activists, including leaders of the BJP were taken in KSRTC buses.