Karnataka Bandh: Freedom Park sole location for rallies, says Bengaluru top cop B Dayananda

Karnataka bandh: Protests are allowed only at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, said police commissioner B Dayananda.

Updated on: Sep 29, 2023, 09:42:00 IST

By Yamini C S

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Bengaluru police commissioner D Dayananda on Thursday said the city's Freedom Park will be the sole location where protests will be allowed on bandh day. Marches and demonstrations held outside the location will be considered unlawful, leading to detention of the protestors.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda. (ANI)

The top cop also said any damage done to public property will be payable by the violators. "The sole sanctioned location for protests and rallies is Freedom Park. However, any organisation can lend their support on their own and not by force. If any damage to the property occurs, the respective protesting organization will be held accountable for the costs," he told news agency ANI.

READ | Bengaluru: Karnataka Rakshana Vedike holds protest against state MPs over Cauvery water issue

Police have already detained more than 50 protestors, Mallikarjun Baladandi, Additional SP of Bengaluru Rural district said. Protests were being held by various pro-Kannada groups in Attibele, Hubballi, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Bengaluru.

Cops have also beefed up security in sensitive areas, saying that adequate arrangements have been made to ensure no untoward incidents take place. “We have made adequate arrangements of the force. We will see that no untoward incident takes place,” said Shekhar H Tekkannavar, DCP, Crime, Bengaluru city.

Police personnel also detained protestors from outside the Bengaluru international airport. See visuals here:

Officials have also put in place prohibitory orders in Mandya, by imposing Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

READ | Section 144 imposed in Karnataka ahead of bandh over Cauvery row

Karnataka transport minister Ramalinga Reddy assured commuters that public bus services will not be disrupted, and that Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses will continue to ply today.

"Those who are doing bandh should do it peacefully. The transport buses will ply despite the bandh tomorrow and there is no need for passengers to worry," he said on Thursday.

(With ANI inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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