BJP protests against use of jammers in jail

Mangaluru: Tensions flared on Saturday, as the local BJP unit, spearheaded by Mangaluru South MLA Vedavyas Kamath, took to the streets to challenge a communication jammer at the district jail. The device, intended to bolster security, has instead stirred unrest among residents, prompting a fiery response from the party.

Kamath didn’t hold back, lambasting the Congress-led government for what he deems a failure of governance. “If the police were doing their job, this jammer wouldn’t even be necessary,” he declared, accusing the administration of neglecting public welfare.

He pointed to unanswered pleas sent to the police commissioner, the Director General, and the home minister, vowing that under a BJP regime, he’d have dismantled the device himself. With district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao in town, Kamath pressed for urgent action to resolve the growing discontent.

The protest escalated when Kamath and fellow BJP leaders tried to barricade the road and encircle the jail, only to be met with swift police action. Officers arrested the group, halting their demonstration but amplifying the issue’s visibility.

As the jail is located within the city, the jammer has crippled connectivity near colleges, shops, and clinics, leaving locals struggling with everything from emergency calls to digital payments.

A nearby doctor recently amplified the chorus of complaints online, spotlighting the real-world impact. Patient care was compromised by unreliable networks as it was reported that a heart patient couldn’t consult the doctor. For shopkeepers and students alike, the disruption has turned daily routines into logistical nightmares.