‘Peaceful protest a democratic right’: Karnataka govt to review police action on protesters

The Karnataka government will review the police action against protesters and journalists during an anti-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) demonstration in Bengaluru on Monday, October 12. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has sought a report on the incident and Home Minister Priyank Kharge has assured that peaceful protests would not be disrupted.Shivakumar said he had taken note of the police action against protesters and members of the media and sought a full report on the circumstances that led to it. “If there has been any unnecessary use of force or excess, accountability will follow,” he said.The Chief Minister reiterated that peaceful protest was a fundamental democratic right.“The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy. We cannot demand that right for ourselves in Delhi and deny it to others in Bengaluru. Karnataka must hold itself to the democratic standards that we expect from the rest of the country. There will be no double standards,” he said in a statement on Tuesday, October 13.“Let me be clear: disagreement with the Election Commission, disagreement with my government, or disagreement with me personally does not diminish anyone’s right to peacefully express it,” Shivakumar added.The police action took place on October 12 when protesters gathered near KR Circle to march to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka. They were protesting against the SIR of electoral rolls and we're demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the exercise.Bengaluru police detained more than 100 people who attempted to march to the CEO’s office. They were detained after they refused to move to Freedom Park, the designated protest site. Journalists and photographers covering the demonstration were also allegedly manhandled.Home Minister Priyank Kharge said he had instructed the police to ensure that peaceful demonstrations were not disrupted.“The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy. It must be respected, protected, and never suppressed. I have issued instructions to the police to ensure that no peaceful demonstration is disrupted,” Priyank said.“Our responsibility is not merely to maintain law and order, but to create an environment where every citizen can express dissent freely, peacefully, and without fear. In a democracy, peaceful dissent is not a threat to law and order. It is a right that law and order must protect,” he added.Kharge also urged protesters to cooperate with the police and inform the authorities in advance to ensure their safety and protect the rights of others. “The police are here to protect your rights, not to stand in the way of your voice,” the Minister said.He noted that the right to assemble peacefully and without arms is guaranteed under the Constitution, alongside the freedom of speech and expression. However, both rights are subject to reasonable restrictions in the interests of public order.The government's assurances come amid demands from activists and civil society groups to withdraw the restrictions that limit protests in Bengaluru to Freedom Park.The Campaign for the Right to Protest has written to the Chief Minister, seeking the withdrawal of the Licensing and Regulation of Protests, Demonstrations and Protest Marches (Bengaluru City) Order, 2021, and restoration of the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Public Processions (Bangalore City) Order, 2009.The 2021 order restricts protests to Freedom Park, while the 2009 order did not confine demonstrations to a single location. The campaign also sought to clarify the legal position on the restrictions, arguing that they were introduced by the state government and not imposed by the Karnataka High Court.“The High Court of Karnataka, in its judgement dated August 1, 2022, in WP No. 5781/2021, noted that the Government of Karnataka had framed the 2021 Regulations and directed compliance with them. The court did not itself impose such restrictions. The right to withdraw, amend, or otherwise deal with these Regulations rests with the state government and has in no way been taken away,” the campaign's letter said.Activists have argued that restricting demonstrations to a single location limits their visibility and effectiveness of protests. Police, meanwhile, have cited traffic management and public safety concerns as reasons for regulating protests in the city.