Mysuru Dasara’s Jamboo Savari was marked by entry disputes and alleged police misbehaviour on Thursday, with visitors holding paid Gold Cards and regular passes reportedly denied access, while more than 100 journalists were stopped at palace gates despite carrying passes issued by the district administration.
According to a report by Prajavani, people began gathering around the Ambavilas Palace from about 9 am, and entry for pass holders started at around 9.30 am. The situation was initially orderly, but visitors later alleged that police personnel began shouting at and pushing members of the public and imposed restrictions without clearly explaining the arrangements.
Several visitors had reportedly purchased Gold Cards priced at ₹6,500 each. The cardholders included tourists from other districts and states who had paid in advance. Some visitors said they arrived late after dealing with one-way traffic restrictions and a lack of parking space, but were not allowed inside. People carrying regular passes also reportedly faced difficulty entering the designated viewing areas.
Visitors protested near the Varaha Gate and Jayamarthanda Gate, questioning why entry was being refused when the authorities had stated that seating had been arranged for 48,000 people. They also questioned the denial of access to people who had paid for Gold Cards and arrived with the tickets in hand.
The report also said that journalists assigned to cover the Jamboo Savari were stopped at palace entry points. Media personnel had arrived in two Information Department buses at the Brahmapuri Gate, where their passes stated that media entry was permitted. However, police personnel reportedly refused to recognise passes issued by the district administration and signed by the Police Commissioner, saying they appeared to be fake.
Journalists were allegedly forced to argue with police personnel at two or three locations before being allowed inside. One police officer was accused of grabbing a journalist by the collar and pulling him. Journalists later held a protest over the incident. Director General and Inspector General of Police M.A. Saleem visited the location, sought information about what had happened and assured the journalists that action would be taken, after which they proceeded to cover the procession.
The incident drew condemnation from Legislative Council member K. Shivakumar, who wrote to the Chief Secretary, the DG and IGP. He said journalists play an important role in taking Dasara programmes and the Jamboo Savari to households, and called the obstruction of their work condemnable. He described the incident as a failure of the police department and sought action against those responsible. The Mysuru District Journalists’ Association also condemned the episode.
The report further said that police personnel stopped ministers during the Nandidhwaja puja. Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, who was following Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, was reportedly stopped by a senior police officer. Ministers K.S. Basavanthappa and P.M. Narendra Swamy were also allegedly prevented from moving forward before the Chief Minister signalled for them to proceed. Further action on the complaints will depend on the response from the police and district administration.
