Mangaluru: Hindu organizations staged a protest in front of the Mini Vidhana Soudha in Mangaluru, demanding the withdrawal of the Karnataka government's budget allocations and reservation provisions for minorities in government tenders. A memorandum was submitted to the governor through Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan.

The protest followed the state government's announcement of a ₹4,500 crore allocation for minority welfare, which includes financial aid for Muslim colonies, salaries for imams, marriage assistance for Muslim women, foreign scholarships for students, self-defence training, Waqf board property protection, and the establishment of ITI colleges and Urdu schools in Muslim-majority areas. The budget also proposed a 4% reservation for minorities in government tenders.

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti state spokesperson Mohan Gowda criticised these allocations, stating that religious-based reservations are unconstitutional. He alleged that while the state budget provides financial support for imams, there are no provisions for priests of over 34,000 Grade C temples under the Religious Endowment Department. He also claimed that many ancient temples lacked funds for renovation and maintenance.

The protest was attended by leaders from various Hindu organisations, including Janardhan Arkula of Hindu Yuva Sena, Girish Kottari of the Farmers’ Association, Lokesh Kuttar, Dinkar Bajal, Dharmendra Ullal, Satish, and Vasant Rai.

Protesters urged the government to withdraw the budget allocations and reservation provisions, arguing that public funds should not be allocated based on religious considerations. They called for a review of the financial bill, stating that it violates constitutional principles.