Bengaluru Police to Complain Against Protesters for Violating NDMA
About 20-odd protesters gathered at Bengaluru’s Maurya Circle demanding the release of “political prisoners”
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The Bengaluru police will submit a special report to a judicial magistrate over the alleged violation of National Disaster Management Act (NDMA) rules during a protest held on Wednesday, 3 June, a senior official told The Quint. There is no FIR in the matter yet.
After a gap of over two months, students and activists were back on the streets as over 20 people gathered at Maurya Circle demanding the release of ‘political prisoners’ including those who have recently faced arrest for their purported role in anti-CAA protests across the country.
DCP Central Chetan Singh Rathore said that a special report would be submitted under Sections 51-60 of the Disaster Management Act, which sets out the offences and penalties for violation of lockdown.
“The special report will be submitted in court. It is not a cognizable offence and further action will be taken by the presiding officer. We will also be mentioning violation of Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant ),” he said.
Simultaneous protests were also held in Delhi as many students turned up in person or showed virtual solidarity with those who have been subjected to police action, such as Safoora Zargar who has since been subjected to fake claims, members of Pinjra Tod and other students of JNU, AMU and Jamia.
“It is clear that the ruling dispensation, while refusing to engage with any social movements, prefers to silence all critical voices through blatant state repression and the use of draconian laws. Earlier, the government framed a number of democratic rights activists and academicians on the pretext of the Bhima Koregaon case. Other anti-CAA activists such as Akhil Gogoi who has been charged under UAPA, Bittu Sonowal, Manas Konwar, Dhairjya Konwar and several others have been arrested in the course of the movement and continue to languish in prison,” read a part of the message circulated as a call to protest and solidarity.
A student protester holding a poster that said ‘#KashmiriLivesMatter’ along with demanding justice for other minority communities, created a minor stir at the protest site but protesting students said that they did not want attention to be diverted from the reason for their protest.
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