Police commissioner cites ambulance and VIP movement; Congress accuses the BJP government of muzzling dissent
Bhopal, October 20: Bhopal Police have banned sit-ins, demonstrations, strikes and effigy burning at three of the city’s most popular protest spots for the next two months. No alternative venue has been named.
In an order issued on Monday under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar declared Polytechnic Square, Akashvani Square, Kilol Park Square and the roads connecting them as restricted zones.
The order said these junctions lie on the only convenient route to key destinations such as the airport, Hamidia Hospital and Gandhi Medical College. It noted that frequent requests from political parties, community groups and organisations to protest at Polytechnic Square disrupted traffic and caused serious public inconvenience. It also warned that delays to ambulances and fire engines could put patients’ lives at risk, and cited the movement of VIPs and VVIPs. Violations will invite legal action.
Congress leader Anand Jat accused the BJP government of fearing public opinion and trying to silence it. He said such restrictions would not stop people from speaking out.
The order follows a month of large protests in Delhi demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Authorities there deployed around 40,000 security personnel, shut Metro stations, suspended internet services and detained thousands. Days ago, Jantar Mantar was also stripped of its status as a designated protest site.
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