JOIN USMonths after police commissioner Sunil Agarwal ordered a ban on procession and protests near K R Circle, the decision continues to invite public wrath. A group of citizens from various organisations who met in city on Saturday has decided to pursue a serious agitation against it.
In a meeting, the citizens strongly condemned the police chief’s decision and said there was no logic in banning carrying out dharna or a protest near K R circle. “The ban is an autocratic move and is against democratic principles. People are the supreme in a democracy. Police commissioner brought a law which is no where in existence in any district in state,” participants opined.
The members of various forums have beend demanding for lifting of the ban from past six months since the police commissioner asked his department to clamp a ban on procession. For several decades, K R Circle was a place where several agitations took shape, a senior member said.
The meeting was attended by CPI state secretary G N Nagaraj, CPI district president H R Sheshadri, L Jagannath, Raju, S G Vombatkere of Janandolana Rashtreeya Samithi, AICC member M N Jawaraiah, former mayors Narayana and Ananthu, district youth congress rural president B J Vijay Kumar, CITU district president Jagadeesh, Mahadevaswamy.
The particpants took exception to police commissioner Agarwal’s adamant nature not to lift the ban despite several plea and memorandum. His statement that the lifting of ban was not possible under his tenure came under intense criticism. They explored various options to carry out the agitation against the police decision like holding a public awareness through handbills, jail bharo campaign and black badge strike during chief minister’s arrival in city and commiting suicide. They alleged the police commissioner of acting under the influence of traders and businessmen. The members decided to hold a meeting on June 30 at Town Hall to chalk out a strategy.
Agarwal had issued a circular banning protests, processions and rallies near K R Circle six months ago. He suggested for an alternative asking protesters to stage dharna near Gandhi square. Any procession should start from Gandhi Square and pass through Old Bank road, subway on Sayyaji Rao road, Dhanvanthri Road, JLB Road and joining Hunsur Road to reach the deputy commissioner’s office. Such an irrational decision and new route invited flak from various quarters since the ban order was issued.