Khushi Bajpai
Published on: 03rd August,2022 at 17:58 IST
The Karnataka High Court ordered the State Government to follow the Karnataka police act’s licencing and regulation of protests, demonstrations, and protest marches (Bengaluru city) order, 2021, which only permits procession, dharna, and protest at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park.
A Division Bench made up of Acting Chief Judge Alok Aradhe and Justice S Vishwajith Shetty ruled that individuals found to be in violation of the order should face punishment from the state.
With this, it ended a suo moto public interest lawsuit based on a letter a sitting high court judge wrote to the court’s Chief Justice last year in response to a significant traffic jam the congress padayatra caused in the city in march of that year, which demanded that the Mekedatu project be implemented quickly.
By its order dated March 3, 2021, the High Court had ordered the state government to immediately make sure that no organised protests, meetings, processions, etc., are held in Bengaluru by any group of political parties, organisations, etc., aside from at freedom park. It also ordered the state government to make sure that traffic in the city is not negatively impacted, particularly during rush hour..