Bengaluru: After a week’s break, a fresh wave of demonstrations against SIR hit the city Friday evening. There was a tiranga march followed by protests organised by People Against SIR, a broad alliance of organisations representing students, youngsters, farmers, workers, Dalits, adivasis, minorities and other groups.Even before 4pm, hundreds had gathered at Puttana Chetty Town Hall from where the march was scheduled to begin till Freedom Park. Protesters chanted slogans condemning alleged police brutality against their friends in Delhi and demanded the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.The chanting was, however, stopped at 4:05pm after police denied permission, clarifying that there could be no slogans or placards against Union govt or Gyanesh Kumar.Akshay M Hakay, deputy commissioner of olice, central, announced through the microphone: “Permission for the march is conditional in nature. We were told by the organisers for a march carrying tiranga and Constitution placards, not for protests.”Some of the participants opposed directions from police, leading to arguments. It took members of several civil society organisations to pacify sections of their own. “Article 19 says you can protest without arms; we are having arms it seems,” quipped Amandeep Singh, an All India Students’ Association (AISA) member.Right before the march began, police officers scanned all the placards and collected those with messages attacking Election Commission of India, Prime Minister and CM.One such placard which questioned the CM on restrictions was torn when protester Heena refused to surrender it. A law student, Heena alleged the poster was merely about Article 19 1(a), yet police dragged her and grabbed the placard when she refused to hand it over.Other than the initial scuffles, the participants were able to march peacefully for almost 3km with hundreds of police officers managing traffic.With the CEO’s office stationed between Town Hall and Freedom Park, police diverted the march after a while. Organisers said despite ensuring peace, cops did not want them to pass through the CEO’s office near KR Circle. The march took a right turn near Central College and moved forward.“We should have marched through the CEO’s office so that V Anbukkumar could also see this. Police said marchers have a tendency to raise slogans and that would have created a very embarrassing situation,” said Sitharam Gundappa, state president, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).“This is a cause for the country, for saving the country and bringing back the people who are disenfranchised. Since the Bihar elections, we are flagging issues with SIR… We are fighting for a democracy which has been snatched away from us…”, civic activist Tara Rao from Eddelu Karnataka rued.IT professional Anand who had participated in India Against Corruption movement said the current circumstances are worse: “This govt is owning elections through extortion. I have protested against Congress govt before, but it was never like this.”
