Don’t permit protest, rallies at any place or public road except Freedom Park: Karnataka HC

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar said that these interim directions would be in force during the pendency of the PIL petition, initiated suo motu by the court in 2021

Congress supporters at Nayandahalli, on Mysuru Road - Outer Ring Road (ORR) junction, during the 2nd phase of Mekedatu Padayatra 2.0 - Walk for Water, from Ramanagaram to National College Ground, Basavanagudi, for implementation of the balancing reservoir project across Cauvery river at Mekedatu, in Bengaluru on March 1, 2022. Traffic movement on the south and western parts of the city was severely affected. | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Giving relief to Bengalureans suffering from traffic snarls caused by protests and rallies, the High Court of Karnataka on March 3 directed the State Government not to permit, with immediate effect, any protest, procession, demonstration, rally or march by any group, organisation or political party at any place or public road in the city except at the designated place in Freedom Park, Gandhinagar.

Even while allowing protests and demonstrations at Freedom Park, the court said authorities should ensure that such activities are held in an organised manner without either disrupting the movement of traffic, especially during peak hours, or causing any hardship to the general public.

If protests and demonstrations are carried out at any other place contrary to its directions, then the government should take appropriate action and also fix responsibility on the authorities concerned, including those responsible for maintaining proper movement of traffic.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar said that these interim directions would be in force during the pendency of the PIL petition, initiated suo motu by the court in 2021.

The PIL was initiated based on a letter written to the Chief Justice by Justice Aravind Kumar, who was then a judge of the High Court of Karnataka and presently serving as the Chief Justice of High Court of Gujarat, on the hardship faced by the general public due to huge traffic jams caused by frequent protests, demonstrations and rallies on public roads in the heart of Bengaluru.

The letter was written after Bengaluru witnessed a day-long traffic jam on March 2, 2021 following a series of demonstrations and rallies by workers of anganwadis and State public transport corporations to press for their demands.

The bench found it necessary to issue interim directions during the pendency of the petition observing that holding of demonstrations and processions in various parts of Bengaluru and on public roads have serious repercussions as well as a cascading effect on day-to-day activities in the entire city, including traffic. While hearing the petition, the court has to examine several issues on the rules framed for regulating such activities in accordance with the law, the bench observed.