Bengaluru police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh has reiterated that Freedom Park will remain the city’s sole designated protest site, unless the venue becomes inadequate. “A new location will only be considered if Freedom Park cannot accommodate protestors. Currently, it’s sufficient and there’s no plan to change that,” he told TOI.
The city’s 2021 police directive restricted protests solely to Freedom Park after rallies by anganwadi and transport workers disrupted traffic and daily life. Before the rule came into effect, protestors commonly gathered at Town Hall, Banappa Park, and Maurya Circle.
However, activists argue the restriction curtails democratic expression. Groups now must travel to Freedom Park—regardless of how far their protest issue is from the site. For instance, during the Devanahalli farmers’ protest, participants had to journey over 35 km to voice their concerns.
“This is unacceptable,” said Maitreyi Krishnan of Horaatada Hakkigagi Janandolana, a campaign for protest rights. “Restricting protest to one location undermines its impact and alienates communities.”
Lawyer Vinay Sreenivasa clarified that while the Karnataka High Court disposed of a related petition in 2022, it allowed the 2021 police order to continue. Still, he emphasized that the order’s Section 4.1 empowers the police commissioner to approve alternate protest locations based on specific situations.
Despite the rule, exceptions have been made. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya protested at Lalbagh, and Congress workers staged demonstrations at the BMRCL office—raising questions of bias. Civic activist Rajkumar Duggar criticized this inconsistency: “Why are politicians allowed flexibility while ordinary citizens aren’t?”