Umar Khalid-themed event unfolds in Bengaluru, police enforce strict security amid protest by BJP

Bengaluru: An event linked to jailed activist Umar Khalid unfolded amid tension in Domlur on Monday with Bengaluru police throwing a thick security cordon around the venue and tightly controlling movement. 

Police rounded up 33 members of the BJP Yuva Morcha after they raised slogans and tried to barge into the Bangalore International Centre (BIC) to disrupt the event. Some other protesters fled the scene. 

The programme featured readings from the book 'Umar Khalid and His World' by three of its editors, followed by a panel discussion with historian Janaki Nair, writer-historian Ramachandra Guha and actor Prakash Raj. 

Security was stepped up after the organisers — the All India Lawyers' Association for Justice (AILAJ), the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Bahutva Karnataka — sought protection following threats from the BJP. A BJP delegation had also met Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, seeking the cancellation of what it called an "anti-national" event. 

(From Left) Arvind Narrain National Secretary, PUC, Ramachandra Guha Writer and Historian, Janaki Nair Professor and Historian and Prakash Raj Actor and Public Intellectual talks on 'Umar Khalid and His World' at Bangalore International Center on Tuesday.

Police secured not just the venue but also a 200-metre radius around it, setting up barricades on all approach roads and regulating entry. 

More than 200 personnel from the east and north divisions, along with four KSRP platoons and a mobile control and command centre, were deployed to prevent any untoward incidents. 

Attendees, including speakers, had to pass through five layers of security — three on the road and two inside the venue. They were required to show their credentials and provide contact numbers. The last layer involved airport-style frisking as attendees were asked to pour all belongings out of their pockets. 

Many attendees who arrived late were denied entry as their names were not on the registration list. Volunteers tried to facilitate access, but police did not permit it, citing security protocols. 

Some attendees were directed to a first-floor room where the discussion was live-streamed. Inside the auditorium, police allowed only volunteers to stand. Those wearing black were asked to cover up or leave, while people wearing masks had to remove them. 

Muscular plainclothes men maintained a close watch inside the auditorium, monitoring for potential disruptions. They stayed put throughout the event and escorted speakers out as the event concluded. 

The heavy security presence echoed during the discussion. 

"You see a bit of that spectacle outside," Shuddhabrata Sengupta, one of the book's editors, remarked, referring to what he described as the union government's "attempts to muzzle dissent". 

Guha commended PUCL's Arvind Narrain for "coordinating with goons on one side and and the police on the other", while Nair said that "something like this wouldn't happen even in Delhi".