BJP bike rally: security upped in B'luru, M'luru

The police have tightened security in communally sensitive areas of Bengaluru and Mangaluru following denial of permission for the BJP to take out a bike rally from the capital to the coastal Dakshina Kannada district on Tuesday.

Bengaluru city police commissioner T Sunil Kumar has clamped prohibitory orders under Section 35 of the Karnataka Police Act 1963 for three days. “We have denied the permission keeping public safety and security in mind,” Kumar told DH.

A BJP delegation had submitted a petition to DCP (West) M N Anuchet seeking permission for taking out the bike rally from Freedom Park.

“We had directed them to furnish details of riders participating in the rally such as their names, age, driving licence and documents related to bikes. The police did not receive any response from the the delegation which was primary reason for denying the permission,” the commissioner added.

The police top brass said that the bike rally would result in a lot of inconvenience to the public.

“Traffic problems will shoot up suddenly, while schoolchildren face hardship. The rally and its subsequent congestion will adversely affect elderly people and women,” he said.

The police have tightened security in and around communally sensitive areas. Senior officers have been directed to intensify patrolling besides monitoring security situation personally. There would be additional deployment at all public facilities to thwart any attempt by miscreants to destroy them. The police may taken miscreants and anti-social elements into preventive custody.

In Mangaluru

Similar measures have been taken in the Mangaluru also. “A company of RAF has arrived Mangaluru. In addition, 10 platoons of KSRP and City Armed Reserve Police personnel have been deployed. Apart from this, 100 police personnel from outside the district have also been deployed” said the city police commissioner T R Suresh.

Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police C H Sudheer Kumar Reddy said that about 15 platoons of KSRP and over 600 additional police personnel have been deployed across Dakshina Kannada district for security.