BJP to hold day-long protest over mining curbs and job losses

Mangaluru: BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) has called for a large-scale protest in Mangaluru on September 16, targeting the Karnataka Congress government over restrictions on laterite stone and sand extraction. The party claims the measures have paralysed the construction industry in Dakshina Kannada district.

Capt. Brijesh Chowta, MP for Dakshina Kannada and BJP state secretary, said the shortage has brought development projects to a halt and shattered the housing dreams of low-income families. He accused the Congress government of offering only “hollow assurances” over the past three months while failing to address the crisis.

“The arbitrary restrictions have left construction workers and contractors unemployed. The sector has suffered losses worth hundreds of crores, and thousands of daily wage earners are struggling to make ends meet,” Chowta said.

The protest will take place in front of the Mini Vidhana Soudha from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Party leaders, activists, and affected families are expected to participate. Chowta described the agitation as a “fight for the survival of workers” in the district.

The BJP argues that the Congress government’s policies are both anti-labour and anti-development, hurting one of the key drivers of the coastal economy. It has demanded immediate steps to ease restrictions on quarrying and sand mining to revive stalled projects and restore livelihoods. The protest is likely to intensify political friction in the region, where infrastructure and housing remain sensitive issues.