Bengaluru, Feb. 25 -- Hundreds of government job aspirants on Tuesday staged a protest in Dhadwad to demand filling of vacancies across departments in the state government.

The protest was organised by the Akhila Karnataka State Students' Association (AKSSA) at the city's Jubilee Circle, which witnessed intense sloganeering, burning of effigies, and road blockades.

Tensions escalated when senior BJP leaders , including Leaders of Opposition in R Ashoka and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy arrived at the protest site to express support. Some participants raised "go back" slogans and threw posters toward them, forcing them to leave.

Police detained R Kanthakumar, president of the student organisation leading the protest, and escorted him away in ...