📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Pilot Rakesh Tyagi
Politics
BJP cadres march to Mangalore airport ahead of Karnataka CM's visit over Mhadei diversion
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 09 Oct 2026, 05:02 AM
👁 13
BJP volunteers staged a march to Mangalore International Airport as the Karnataka chief minister arrived to address the contentious Mhadei river diversion project.
A group of Bharatiya Janata Party workers gathered at the entrance of Mangalore International Airport on Saturday, forming a procession that coincided with the arrival of Karnataka's chief minister. The march was organized to voice the party's stance on the ongoing controversy surrounding the proposed diversion of the Mhadei river, a project that has sparked environmental and political debate in the state.
Party cadres, carrying banners and flags, moved in a coordinated line toward the airport terminal, where the chief minister was scheduled to meet officials and media representatives. The demonstration was described by local BJP leaders as a peaceful expression of public concern over the potential ecological impact of the water diversion scheme.
State authorities confirmed that security arrangements were in place to ensure the chief minister's safe passage and that the march did not disrupt airport operations. No arrests were reported, and the event concluded without any reported incidents.
The Mhadei diversion project, which aims to channel water from the Western Ghats to drought‑prone regions of Karnataka, continues to face opposition from environmental groups and opposition parties, who argue that it could threaten the river's biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities downstream.
The chief minister is expected to address the issue in a press conference later in the day, outlining the government's position and response to the concerns raised by the BJP march and other stakeholders.
Party cadres, carrying banners and flags, moved in a coordinated line toward the airport terminal, where the chief minister was scheduled to meet officials and media representatives. The demonstration was described by local BJP leaders as a peaceful expression of public concern over the potential ecological impact of the water diversion scheme.
State authorities confirmed that security arrangements were in place to ensure the chief minister's safe passage and that the march did not disrupt airport operations. No arrests were reported, and the event concluded without any reported incidents.
The Mhadei diversion project, which aims to channel water from the Western Ghats to drought‑prone regions of Karnataka, continues to face opposition from environmental groups and opposition parties, who argue that it could threaten the river's biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities downstream.
The chief minister is expected to address the issue in a press conference later in the day, outlining the government's position and response to the concerns raised by the BJP march and other stakeholders.