The Bengaluru Tiranga March went ahead from Town Hall on Friday after police granted conditional permission for the procession, restricting protests, slogans, placards and any activity that could disrupt public order or traffic. The march was held under police security and was scheduled to conclude near the Quit India Memorial.
The organisers had initially planned to begin the march at Town Hall at 4 pm and finish at the memorial. Permission was later granted for the event to take place between 5 pm and 6.30 pm, according to details shared by the organisers.
The conditions cited the Karnataka High Court’s order restricting protests, processions, rallies and similar activities in Bengaluru to Freedom Park. Police prohibited the organisers from holding a protest or symbolic protest at Town Hall, along the route or near the Quit India Memorial.
The permission document also barred participants from raising slogans against any political party, organisation, community or individual. Organisers were prohibited from displaying protest placards, banners or other material that could disturb public peace. They were directed to ensure that the march did not obstruct public or vehicular traffic.
During the procession, members of the CJP raised slogans against a political party, following which senior police officers present at the location warned them and asked them to continue peacefully. The march proceeded amid police deployment, with the organisers maintaining that it was a peaceful event.
The procession was organised by the CJP in association with Jagruta Karnataka, AISA Karnataka and My Vote, My Right. It was held in solidarity with CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka and spokesperson Saurav Das, who were sent to five-day judicial custody and lodged in Tihar Jail on October 14.
According to the report, Das and Ranka were detained after allegedly violating peace bonds and trespassing into Jantar Mantar in Delhi, which has been denotified as a protest site. They had signed bonds requiring them to maintain peace for a year after being detained the previous week.
The Bengaluru event highlights the operational limits placed on public assemblies in the city, where permissions can specify the timing, route, permitted conduct and restrictions on materials or slogans. Police warned that violations of the High Court order during the gathering near Town Hall, the foot march or its conclusion near the Quit India Memorial could lead to further legal action.
