Bengaluru, Oct 13 (IANS) Karnataka Home Minister, Priyank Kharge, on Tuesday said the Bengaluru Police’s handling of protesters on Monday would be reviewed, stressing that the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to democracy and must be respected and protected.
In a statement, Kharge said he had instructed the police to ensure that no peaceful demonstration was disrupted. “The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy. It must be respected, protected and never suppressed,” he said.
The Home Minister appealed to protesters to cooperate with the police and keep the authorities informed to ensure their safety and protect the rights of others.
“The police are here to protect your rights, not to stand in the way of your voice,” he said.
Kharge said the responsibility of the authorities was not limited to maintaining law and order but also included creating an environment in which every citizen could express dissent freely, peacefully and without fear.
“In a democracy, peaceful dissent is not a threat to law and order. It is a right that law and order must protect,” he said.
It can be noted that Bengaluru Police detained and removed a group of protesters near K.R. Circle in Bengaluru on October 12, after they gathered without prior permission to march toward the Chief Electoral Officer’s office.
The demonstrators gathered to demand the scrapping of SIR and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to the Bengaluru City Police, the group assembled without permission or prior intimation, violating High Court guidelines that restrict protests to designated areas like Freedom Park.
Police initially requested the crowd to relocate to Freedom Park, and after they refused, officers took them into preventive custody.
Protesters accused the police of rough handling, including pushing and dragging participants, confiscating placards, assaulting young protesters, dragging women into buses, and manhandling journalists present at the scene.
–IANS
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