Bengaluru, Mar 26 (IANS): Hindu activists in Karnataka's Madikeri district on Saturday staged protest by sitting on the ground to vacate Muslim merchants from carrying out their business in a convention organised at Shanivarasante of Somavarapet taluk.

The Muslim merchants were carrying out their business in the state-level convention of organic farming and indigenous breeds of cows organised by Manehalli Mutt.

They had put up sugarcane juice and snacks shops. The Hindu activists present on the spot objected to their presence and told them to vacate.

"What is the connection between the convention of indigenous breeds of cows and the people who slaughter cows," submitted the activists.

They further said that "the Muslim merchants do not have any love for cows they only want to carry out the business here".

Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had demanded to get shops of Muslims vacated from the premises of famous Chamundeshwari hills in Mysuru city.

Sriram Sene founder Pramod Muthalik has met the Deputy Speaker and BJP MLA Anand Mamani and urged that non-Hindus merchants should be vacated from the premises of the Savadatti Yallamma pilgrimage centre in Belagavi district.

He visited Savadatti Yallamma temple and stated that lakhs of pilgrims visited the temple and there are more than 50 per cent of Muslim merchants carrying out their business here, he said.

If there are non-Hindu staff in the Religious Endowment department, they should be transferred immediately. Otherwise, a protest will be staged, he said.