Karnataka Bandh: Freedom Park sole location for rallies, says Bengaluru top cop B Dayananda

Karnataka bandh: Protests are allowed only at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, said police commissioner B Dayananda.

Bengaluru police commissioner D Dayananda on Thursday said the city's Freedom Park will be the sole location where protests will be allowed on bandh day. Marches and demonstrations held outside the location will be considered unlawful, leading to detention of the protestors.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda.(ANI)

The top cop also said any damage done to public property will be payable by the violators. "The sole sanctioned location for protests and rallies is Freedom Park. However, any organisation can lend their support on their own and not by force. If any damage to the property occurs, the respective protesting organization will be held accountable for the costs," he told news agency ANI.

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Police have already detained more than 50 protestors, Mallikarjun Baladandi, Additional SP of Bengaluru Rural district said. Protests were being held by various pro-Kannada groups in Attibele, Hubballi, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Bengaluru.

Cops have also beefed up security in sensitive areas, saying that adequate arrangements have been made to ensure no untoward incidents take place. “We have made adequate arrangements of the force. We will see that no untoward incident takes place,” said Shekhar H Tekkannavar, DCP, Crime, Bengaluru city.

Police personnel also detained protestors from outside the Bengaluru international airport. See visuals here:

Officials have also put in place prohibitory orders in Mandya, by imposing Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

READ | Section 144 imposed in Karnataka ahead of bandh over Cauvery row

Karnataka transport minister Ramalinga Reddy assured commuters that public bus services will not be disrupted, and that Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses will continue to ply today.

"Those who are doing bandh should do it peacefully. The transport buses will ply despite the bandh tomorrow and there is no need for passengers to worry," he said on Thursday.

(With ANI inputs)