Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has sought a detailed report on police action against protesters in Bengaluru, after several people were detained while attempting to march to the office of the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer. The protesters were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision exercise and accused the police of manhandling them and photojournalists.
Shivakumar said he had taken note of the incident and sought a full account of the circumstances that led to the police response. He added that if the report established unnecessary use of force or excess, accountability would follow.
“The right to peaceful protest was fundamental to democracy,” Shivakumar said, adding that disagreement with the Election Commission, the state government or him personally did not diminish anyone’s right to express dissent peacefully.
The Chief Minister also said Karnataka should meet the democratic standards it expected from the rest of the country. “There will be no double standards,” he said.
The reported action took place a day before Shivakumar’s statement, when protesters attempted to proceed towards the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer’s office. The demonstration was linked to demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. The source report did not specify the number of people detained or provide details of any cases registered in connection with the demonstration.
Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge had earlier ordered a review of the police response and instructed the force to ensure that peaceful demonstrations were not disrupted. In a post on X, Kharge said peaceful protest was a fundamental democratic right that had to be respected and protected.
Kharge appealed to protesters to cooperate with the police and keep authorities informed so that their safety and the rights of other citizens could be protected. “The police are here to protect your rights, not to stand in the way of your voice,” he said.
He said the police responsibility went beyond maintaining law and order and included creating conditions in which citizens could express dissent freely, peacefully and without fear. Kharge also said peaceful dissent should be treated as a democratic right rather than a threat to public order.
The two government responses place the handling of demonstrations and the use of police force under review. The next official step is the submission and examination of the report sought by the Chief Minister, along with the review ordered by the Home Minister. No findings from either review had been announced in the supplied report.
