Mangaluru (The Hindu): Bharatiya Janata Party supporters were jubilant in Mangaluru on Sunday when their national president Amit Shah addressed B.S. Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister in-waiting.

The former Chief Minister and State president of Bharatiya Janata Party B.S. Yeddyurappa received good support from the audience at the Balidan Divas programme at the Mangalagangotri auditorium on the Mangalore University campus on Sunday.

There were slogans in support of Mr. Yeddyurappa as soon as Mr. Shah addressed him as the Chief Minister in-waiting.

The same was the reaction from the audience when MP Nalin Kumar Kateel addressed Mr. Yeddyurappa in a similar way. Mr. Yeddyurappa was applauded as he took the mike to address the audience.

No party flags

No flags and banners of the BJP were seen at the venue.

While giving permission for the event, Mangalore University vice-chancellor K. Byrappa had asked organisers not to use party banners and flags on the premises.

Letter

In a letter to Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayaraddi on August 19, Mr. Byrappa said that all precautions had been taken to prevent violation of conditions that had been laid down.

The university was empowered to take all actions to prevent vitiation of the atmosphere on the campus, he said in the letter.

Mr. Rayaraddi told reporters on Sunday that action will be taken by the university if the organisers were found violating conditions.

President of BJP’s Dakshina Kannada unit Sanjeev Mathandoor said that the party had taken the lead in organising the Tiranga Yatra proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Balidan Divas was part of Tiranga Yatra which was held to inspire the youth to work for the nation.

“We just took the lead. This is not a party event. But our workers were involved in organising it,” he said.