The Mysuru City Police has denied permission for Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI) to stage a protest in the city on Tuesday, October 31, against Israel’s war on Palestine.
The city police, which took several SDPI leaders into preventive custody hours before the scheduled protest, issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 from 9 a.m. to 12 midnight on Tuesday around Meelad Bagh on Ashoka Road.
Security was tightened around Meelad Bagh, where the SDPI planned to hold a protest rally on Tuesday evening, by deploying a large number of police personnel.
SDPI State president Abdul Majeed convened a press conference in the evening and cried foul against the Congress government in the State for denying them permission to hold a peaceful protest against the aggression of Israel on the people of Palestine.
Though the SDPI had submitted an application about a week ago to hold a peaceful rally, the police had denied them permission, he said.
Meanwhile, City Police Commissioner Ramesh B., in an order issued on Monday, said permission has been denied to hold rallies or meetings either in favour or opposed to different parties in the Isreal-Palestine conflict to ensure law and order in the society.
However, Mr. Majeed pointed out that the Congress party leadership had expressed its concern over the situation in Gaza and questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara for denial of permission to hold a rally in the regard in the State.
He said the police provided no reasons for the arrest of about 7 to 8 leaders of SDPI in Mysuru ahead of the protest. The police said they are under strict instructions from the State government to deny them permission for any protest on the issue.
He condemned the action of the Congress government in Karnataka to prevent people from exercising their right to hold a peaceful protest on Israel’s aggression against Palestine
