Around 50 members of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and social activists were detained in Bengaluru on Saturday after gathering near Town Hall to protest the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protesters were taken in two buses to the City Armed Reserve grounds on Mysuru Road in Chamarajpet, where they were detained for some time before being released, according to a report by The Indian Express. Police had deployed a heavy force and erected barricades near Town Hall to prevent the demonstration.
Additional police platoons remained stationed in the area to prevent further protests. Traffic movement around Town Hall was disrupted for some time because of the gathering and the police deployment.
The action followed the rejection by SJ Park police of the organisers’ request to hold a demonstration outside VN Hall. In a notice dated October 17, police cited Karnataka High Court guidelines that designate Freedom Park as the venue for protests and rallies in Bengaluru.
The notice prohibited demonstrations, rallies, placard displays and mock protests at other locations, and warned of legal action against violations. Police told the organisers that they could hold the protest at Freedom Park after obtaining permission and complying with applicable legal requirements.
“The Bengaluru police have formally rejected our intimation to protest at Town Hall,” an AISA Karnataka member said, according to the report. The organisers and activists criticised the police action and alleged that the State government was applying different standards to peaceful demonstrations.
They also questioned the government’s position after the Home Minister had spoken in favour of peaceful demonstrations and condemned police action against protesters in Delhi. City-based social activist and advocate Narasimhamurthy criticised the police action and said the agitation would continue until the protesters’ demands were met.
The incident highlights the operational limits placed on public demonstrations in central Bengaluru, where police authorities balance designated protest venues with traffic movement and crowd-control requirements. The police notice makes Freedom Park the approved location for rallies, while other public spaces, including the Town Hall area, remain subject to restrictions under the cited High Court guidelines.
The police maintained a presence around Town Hall after the detentions to prevent further gatherings. The organisers’ stated demands concern the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. Further protests would require permission from the authorities and compliance with the restrictions cited in the police notice.
