Bengaluru, July 14 -- Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that he, his cabinet colleagues, and Congress MLAs will not participate in the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Kalasavalli-Ambargondlu Bridge, which is scheduled to take place later today. He said that it was a mark of protest as his request to postpone the event at Sagar taluk in Shivamogga district was not accepted by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

"I had called Nitin Gadkari and asked him to postpone the program. He said he would postpone it. But now, bowing to the pressure from local BJP leaders, they are going ahead with the event," Siddaramaiah told reporters.

"But here, protocol has been violated. As a mark of protest, none of u...