BJP bike rally: ban orders clamped in Mysuru

The city police have clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC for two days from Wednesday 6 am in the wake of “Mangaluru Chalo” bike rally organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday, police commissioner Dr A S Subrahmanyeswara Rao warned of initiating stringent action against people taking part in the motorbike rally. The BJP has called for the rally for protesting killing of Hindu activists in Dakshina Kannada district.

“Rowdy sheets will be opened against those who take part in the rally. This will prove detrimental for their future. Besides, they will be arrested and lodged in prison for violation of the prohibitory orders. Their motorbikes will be seized. Twelve buses have been hired from the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation for transporting the arrested activists. It is better the youth stay away from the rally. Otherwise, they have to face a bleak future,” he said.

When his attention was brought to the statements of the BJP leaders that they would take out the rally come what may, Dr Rao said, as many as 3,000 police personnel had been deployed across the city, who could easily tackle 1,000 activists.

“However, the organisers - the BJP will be held responsible for the loss of public and private properties and they will have to compensate the damages. Organising a rally of 1,000 motorbikes is not a small thing. It involves huge expenses. So, the Enforcement Directorate will be requested to probe the source of funds for the organisers,” he warned.

To a question whether he was under pressure from the state government to act tough against the BJP activists, Dr Rao replied that there was no such instruction from the government.

“The government has directed us to use our discretion, based on the situation, whether to permit or not to permit the rally. Following a request for a permission to hold the rally, the organisers had been served a show-cause notice, to explain as to why the rally should not be banned. Their reply was not satisfactory. So, it has been decided to ban the rally,” he said.

He said that the rally would hit the traffic badly as 1,000 motorbikes would hit the road simultaneously. Schoolchildren, senior citizens and tourists would be put into inconvenience. Towns and villages on the route will also be affected. Hence it was decided to ban the rally.

The police officer said that the law applies equally for all, including Union ministers, and strict action will be taken against all. “We have learnt a lesson from the riots in Panchakula, in Haryana, recently,” he added.