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The Karnataka Government is considering removing restrictions on the staging of protests by the public at the Town Hall in Bengaluru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said amid demands by civil rights groups for more protest sites in the city.
Speaking after releasing a book on the well-known Kannada writer Dr K Marulasiddappa, Ethical Strength of Progressive Movements – Dr Marulasiddappa, Siddaramaiah said he would hold consultations with the state advocate general on facilitating protests at the Town Hall.
“We will discuss the facilitation of the staging of protests in front of the Town Hall with the Advocate General as soon as possible. We will discuss the steps that can be taken in this direction and take an appropriate decision,” Siddaramaiah said Wednesday.
“Genuine populist movements that alert the government are vital to a society. I support and welcome such protests and movements. Not only do we welcome struggles to warn the society and the government but we are also committed to the protection of the freedom of expression,” Siddaramaiah said.
Bengaluru Town Hall was a frequent venue of public protests until 2022 when protests in the city were restricted to the Freedom Park by the state.
In January last year, the Karnataka High Court ordered the state government to restrict all protests and rallies to Freedom Park located on Seshadri Road and barred protests in other places of the city.
The Licensing and Regulation of Protests, Demonstration and Protest Marches (Bangalore City) Order, 2021, was introduced at the same time by the Bengaluru police.
In recent days, civic groups in Bengaluru have carried out protests and signature campaigns for the withdrawal of the government order that restricts protests in the city to the Freedom Park in the west of Bengaluru.
The Right to Protest campaign has sent public letters to Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G Parameshwara demanding the withdrawal of the Licensing and Regulation of Protests, Demonstrations and Protest Marches (Bengaluru City) Order, 2021, imposed in 2022.
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“A democratic society can be fostered when the citizens’ right to protest is being respected and their voice is heard by protecting their right to protest,” activists campaigning for the Right to Protest said in a July letter addressed to the CM and home minister.
“It has been more than a year since the police have restricted protests and other gatherings in any place except Freedom Park and have refused permissions for processions in any other place apart from Freedom Park which has caused a lot of hardships for all the activists and people who wish to exercise their constitutional rights,” they said in the letter.
“In a democracy, protests are a form of dialogue between affected citizens and other concerned citizens as well as a way for affected citizens to ensure that their voice is heard by the government,” they added.
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