Social worker Nityananda rolls on Udupi highway to protest against bad roads, offers Aarti to potholes | VIDEO

Mangaluru, Sep 15: In a novel form of protest, social worker Nityananda Volakadu of Udupi rolled on the road in Udupi to protest against potholes and the pathetic conditions of roads in the district. He bagan 'Urulu Seve' after offering 'aarti' to the potholes of Indrali bridge in the city.

'Urulu Seve' is a ritual that involves rolling on the ground around temples for the welfare of the society.

Speaking on the occasion, Volakadu said though tender is allotted for the road on the Udupi-Manipal national highway three years ago, the stretch is still in a pathetic condition.

"No one is raising any issue. Thousands of people use this road every day. Even the Chief Minister has passed through this stretch. Either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Minister Nitin Gadkari should arrive here for the road to be repaired," he said.

Volakadu said people of Udupi are innocent. There are no street lights on the road and accidents are taking place here every day.

Many cows and calves have died for the same reason. Those who ask votes in the name of cows and calves are not bothered about the deplorable condition of the road, he said. He began his protest by breaking a coconut and offering 'aarti' to the potholes on the road.

Poor road conditions and unique protests by people are not new in Karnataka as a man earlier dressed up as Yamraj and rode on a bike as a pillion rider on a pothole-riddled Anjanpura road in Bengaluru.

The Karnataka government has started taking action on the illegal construction in Bengaluru after the city was recently hit with severe waterlogging. Similarly, roads in Udipi have also taken a hit due to rains as motorists face tough time on the pothole-riddled roads.