The members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike staged a protest urging the government to start Mangalore-Bangalore passenger train service at the earliest, at Mangalore railway station on Sunday.

The members took out a protest march from Kadri park to the railway station condemned the Centre for delaying the commencement of passenger train service.

The protestors symbolically converted the railway station as ‘Laloo market’ and began selling fruits, vegetables and fish.

The members also urged the four-laning of Shiradi Ghat and to use Kannada name plate in every government building, private building, schools, colleges and private and government buses.

They also urged the government to make it mandatory to unfurl Kannada flag in schools and colleges on Kannada Rajyotsava Day. Their other demands are inclusion of Kasargod into Karnataka and special preference to Gadinaada Kannadigas in the State.

Speaking on the occasion, Vedike district President Shashdhar Shetty said the Vedike will stage a state-wide rail rokho, if the government fails to start Mangalore-Bangalore passenger service within a month.

The protestors also climbed a train which arrived from Chennai to Mangalore and staged pro-Kannada slogans.