Bengaluru: Police detain protesters expressing concerns over a 2021 Police Commissioner order

Activists from several civil society organisations and students organisations such as AISA - Karnataka, Dalit Vidhyarthi Parishad, SIO Karnataka, Collective Bangalore, Aicctu Karnataka , CPIML Liberation - Karnataka, Bahutva Karnataka had gathered at Maurya Circle, Bengaluru on October 2nd to stage a protest rally against the 2021 Police Commissioner order restricting protests in the city to Freedom Park only. Protesters were detained and loaded on 3 BMTC buses and taken to Police Ground, Chamrajpet.

 AISA Karnataka said in its statement that although the Indian National Congress claims to be a secular democratic party, it is proactively taking steps to suppress dissent. “Several organisations have written to CM Siddaramaiah to revoke the Police order but he has failed to act upon this positively despite being in power in Karnataka. Dissenting voices are the backbone of democracy,” the statement mentioned. “For over a year and a half, the police have restricted protests and public gatherings in any place other than Freedom Park, and have refused permission for processions. This has caused enormous hardship to all those seeking to protest the violation of their fundamental rights,” said Vinay Sreenivasa from the Janandolana as per a report in The Hindu. The police action on the May Day Rally and the prohibition of the Pride March in November 2022 was highlighted by Maitreyi Krishnan, a participant.