Girinagar residents oppose police station on playground

Residents of Girinagar in South Bengaluru on Friday morning gathered in large numbers to protect a playground that was taken over to build a police station.

A foundation stone was laid for building a police station on Thursday at a volleyball ground near Vivekananda Park in Girinagar, angering residents. Residents on Friday morning gathered in large numbers to protest against the government’s decision.

“We have been using the ground for over 35 years. It is the only playground in this region for kids. If you are going to take away even that last standing open space, where shall we go?” questioned Sowmya Bhat, a resident of Girinagar.

Krishnamurthy Hegde, another resident who was protesting said, “We are not against building a police station. But it can be built elsewhere. How could the officials hold a foundation laying ceremony when there is a model code of conduct across the state?”

Later, Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya met the protesting residents and assured them that he would take up the matter with the Bengaluru city police commissioner T Suneel Kumar.

“We have already discussed it with the commissioner. He has ordered a stop to the work with immediate effect and has given as assurance that the department would take up construction in a different place,” Subramanya said.