Bengaluru: Congress' protest sees large crowd, 6000 cops deployed

The protest rally, ‘Our Vote, Our Right, Our Fight’, addressed by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at Freedom Park in the city, drew a large crowd.

His supporters gathered to voice their discontent against the alleged voter fraud. Around 10,000 to 20,000 supporters from across the state participated in the protest, eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of the popular leader.

According to a senior police official, keeping in mind the recent tragic stampede at Chinnaswamy stadium, the Bengaluru police had deployed 6,000 personnel to manage the crowd. 

Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and City Armed Reserve (CAR) platoons were also deployed.

“It was planned from both a traffic and law-and-order perspective. From a traffic point of view, we were particularly keen that it shouldn’t affect normal city life, and it went off peacefully. We had made elaborate arrangements for buses to drop off passengers at Palace Grounds, and two-wheeler parking was designated in one area. Four-wheeler parking was arranged at the Kanteerava Stadium premises, which was very systematic and smooth,” Seemant Kumar Singh, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, told DH.

The police department, taking no chances with the large gathering and the significance of the protest, deployed additional forces both at the premises and in front of the State Election Commission office to maintain law and order and ensure public safety.

Medical teams, including doctors and ambulances, fire and rescue personnel were on standby to handle any emergencies.