The right to protest, and limits in Bengaluru | Explained
In Bengaluru, where traffic congestion is a daily concern, protests on public roads came under judicial scrutiny in 2021, but the police have intervened in gatherings that organisers say were not even protests
The Hindu's brief on the right to protest in Bengaluru highlights the recent restrictions placed on protesters attempting to reach the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Bengaluru. Over 100 protesters were allegedly abused, manhandled, and detained by the police, as they sought to join a protest led by Rahul Gandhi against the SIR and Election Commission of India.
The CEO's office had recently witnessed a sit-in by Karnataka’s Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his Cabinet colleagues, who were protesting against the misuse of Form-7 applications. The BJP criticized this sit-in, arguing that the CEO’s office is not a designated protest site, while Shivakumar denied that it was a protest and claimed he was merely 'waiting' to speak to the CEO.
The article further delves into the history of protest restrictions in Bengaluru, tracing back to a 2021 High Court ruling that directed the State Government to frame rules for regulating protests, recognizing peaceful protest as a fundamental right. This led to the introduction of the Licensing and Regulation of Protests, Demonstrations and Protest Marches (Bengaluru City) Order, 2021, which designated Freedom Park as the main protest venue.
While the order allows protests at other locations, civil society groups have challenged these restrictions, arguing that the mechanism meant to regulate demonstrations and prevent traffic disruption has become a tool to restrict where people can protest.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
