More than 500 activists of the opposition Congress were taken into custody today after they held protests in the city and parts of Karnataka against the anti-corruption yatra of BJP leader LK Advani.
KPCC President G Parameshwara was among the arrested at the old airport road when a group of Congress activists led by him staged protest demanding "go back Advani".
The Congress workers, sporting masks of jailed BJP leaders including former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, G Janardhana Reddy, Katta Subramanya Naidu and SN Krishnaiah Setty, raised slogans against the ruling party's government and corruption allegations it has been facing.
Police arrested more than 60 congress workers near the Mahatma Gandhi statue while they were on their way to stage protest. At the Freedom Park, the Congress held a protest demonstration.
Similar protests were held in parts of the State, according to reports reaching here.
Meanwhile, Advani reached Bangalore by flight here and was given a rousing reception by BJP workers. He was received at the airport by Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda and BJP State unit President KS Eswarappa, among others.
Advani will be launching his first leg of "Jan Chetana Yatra" in Karnataka with a public rally at the National College grounds, for which police have thrown tight security cover.
Advani's yatra will visit coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada for two days from tomorrow.
The police have a tough task of maintaining law and order today as the city will witness the Advani rally, Congress protests and the first ever rock concert being performed by American band Metallica in India at the palace grounds.
