- 1 week ago
A debate unfolded over permission rules for public demonstrations in Bengaluru versus Delhi. Following restrictions placed on a Tiranga march in Bengaluru, Karnataka BJP spokesperson and former Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao defended police decisions to disallow protests outside Town Hall, citing traffic disruption and High Court directives that designate Freedom Park as the sole protest venue. Rao maintained, 'Bangalore is a congested city', noting that rules apply uniformly to all political parties. Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Ashprit Kadial accused the BJP of double standards regarding democratic demonstrations and questioned police clampdowns. The discussion evaluated whether municipal protest curbs represent legitimate administrative regulations or selective crackdowns.
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NewsTranscript
00:00We've seen a whole lot of reactions that have come in from the opposition from the Congress
00:04over the Delhi police's crackdown on protests in the national capital
00:08and the fact that permission has never been granted for any of these protests.
00:11And yet you see a replay of exactly that happening in Bengaluru.
00:15On your screens are the images that came in earlier from just about 30 minutes ago
00:18where a Tiranga march was held.
00:21Mind you, this was held after, in fact, repeated requests from the CGP to authorities.
00:26It was allowed for a 100-meter stretch.
00:30They were allowed to march with the tricolor in their hand.
00:33No protests, no slogans, no placards allowed.
00:37These were the terms and conditions put forth by the Bengaluru police to allow this protest.
00:42Previously, they had wanted to stage their stir in Town Hall, which is in the heart of the city.
00:48What do the police say?
00:50No, the designated site is Freedom Park. That's the only place you can protest.
00:53There's no question of allowing a protest at Town Hall.
00:57Let me open this up.
00:58Joining me on this broadcast, we've got Bhaskar Rao, spokesperson of the Karnataka BJP,
01:02as well as Arshpreet Kadial, national spokesperson of the Congress.
01:07Mr. Bhaskar Rao, you know, when we see these images,
01:10the question that the Congress will immediately say is,
01:11look, we allow the protest.
01:15See, the cops have been very right in turning down
01:19the request of Kokoroj Janta Party to protest near Town Hall.
01:23There is a designated place in Bangalore where all parties,
01:27irrespective of who is in power, they protest over there.
01:30This kind of new thing of we want to protest here and there,
01:33been turned down by the police,
01:35and they approached the High Court of Karnataka,
01:37and the High Court has also turned it down.
01:39And it is in fitness of things because people cannot protest
01:43wherever they feel like protesting because Bangalore is a congested city.
01:46And the Kokoroj Janta Party is trying to convey a message
01:53that it can do whatever they want with Gen Z,
01:56and they can bring Gen Z on the streets
01:58and play havoc with their career over there.
02:00Now the Gen Z is also realizing that breaking the law
02:03and going against the norms of the land
02:06is going to land them into long term problems.
02:08But if permission is sought,
02:10that means they are following the law of the land.
02:12They didn't just turn up there to stage a protest.
02:15They didn't land up at the spot.
02:16They asked for permission.
02:18No, there is no question of asking for permission also.
02:21They ought to be knowing that there is no provision
02:24for protesting in front of Town Hall,
02:27whatever be the cause.
02:28And they know it very well.
02:30This is deliberately to disrupt traffic
02:32and to bring about a disruption
02:37and to bring the Gen Z to grief
02:39by getting criminal cases booked against them.
02:42Whenever any party has booked,
02:43Bangalore City Police has booked criminal cases against them.
02:45There have been criminal cases against people like us
02:47when we protested outside over there.
02:51So they have to face it.
02:52And in right fitness of things,
02:54High Court also has turned it down.
02:55And of course,
02:56the Bangalore City Police has turned it down
02:58because there is a High Court order
02:59only to ensure that protests are carried out
03:02only near Freedom Park and no other place.
03:05I have a unique situation
03:06where I have the BJP and Congress,
03:07I suspect, on the exact same page.
03:09Ashpreet Kadial is joining us on this broadcast.
03:12Ashpreet,
03:13the question that will be asked to the Congress today is,
03:16when you objected to the fact
03:18that permission was denied by the Delhi Police
03:20to multiple protests in the national capital,
03:21why is the same thumb rule not applied in Bengaluru?
03:26Thank you very much.
03:27Number one,
03:28permission has been granted in Bengaluru
03:32to the CJP to do the Tiranga March.
03:35Number one,
03:36I will add terms and conditions there, sir.
03:39Terms and conditions of a 100-meter march,
03:41no protests, no slogans, no placards.
03:43That's what the Bengaluru police
03:44has communicated to the protesters
03:46after which they were allowed.
03:48Today in Delhi also,
03:49it's pretty much the same thing
03:50of a Tiranga rally being allowed
03:52where they're saying
03:53that with prohibitive orders in place,
03:54you're allowed to gather.
03:56Ji, thank you very much for the question.
03:58Understood.
03:59Now that you have added a point,
04:01let me also add a point to it.
04:04All the things that have been conveyed
04:07to the CJP
04:09is in consonance with the order of the High Court.
04:14My request here is very simple.
04:16We are supposed to follow the orders
04:17of the Honorable High Court.
04:18The High Court had given categoric directions
04:21with regards to the protest site,
04:23with regards to the modus of renda,
04:24with regards to the approach towards it,
04:27with regards to the execution.
04:28And that is exactly what we have done.
04:29We are following the orders
04:30of the Honorable High Court.
04:31And we have allowed for the protest to happen.
04:33Now, my request to the Bhatia Janta Party
04:35is you ought to give up your double standards.
04:37And please tell us one thing.
04:39First, in Delhi,
04:40the Delhi High Court refused
04:42to stay the protest.
04:44The Delhi High Court has refused.
04:46They did not stop it.
04:47Number two, back in the day also,
04:49when Jantar Mantar was denotified,
04:51the Supreme Court has issued
04:52notice of motion on the petition
04:54with regards to that denotification.
04:57Number three,
04:58the Bhatia Janta Party,
04:59back in the day when they used to protest
05:00in May 2014
05:02against the Election Commission,
05:04led by Mitch Shah sahab,
05:05they were doing rallies all over the country,
05:07marches all over the country.
05:08Would the Bhatia Janta Party
05:10call that anarchism?
05:11Would the Bhatia Janta Party
05:12say that your leaders
05:13were spreading anarchy?
05:13Would the Bhatia Janta Party
05:15for once give up their double standards
05:16and stop blowing hot and cold
05:18at the same time?
05:18My request to the BGP is,
05:20why are the people protesting?
05:21Why are they out in such large numbers?
05:23The reason is,
05:24the Bhatia Janta Party
05:25silenced Mr. Modi's silence.
05:27He chose Ganesh Kumar Ji,
05:29the very Ganesh Kumar Ji
05:30because of whom SIR happened,
05:31because of which
05:3213 crore people got deleted.
05:3413 crore people
05:35who happened to have voted
05:37in the Lok Sabha election.
05:38The biggest election of the country
05:39because of which
05:39the BGP government was formed.
05:40Now, if you say
05:41these were fake voters,
05:43they shouldn't have existed
05:43in the first place,
05:44then resign
05:45because on the basis
05:47of those words,
05:48your government was elected,
05:49the entire BGP
05:49has got vitiated number two.
05:51Why have you not issued
05:52any defamation notice
05:53to Indian Express
05:54for the report
05:54that was published
05:55which said
05:56the election commissioners
05:57were kept in dark,
05:58the decisions were illegal
05:59and unconstitutional?
06:00You know,
06:01I don't want to go into
06:02the cause of the protests
06:03here on CEC and SIR
06:05because then this will become
06:06an endless debate.
06:07I have very limited time
06:07focusing just on the protests.
06:09Mr. Bhaskar Rao,
06:10your response
06:11to what the Congress
06:12is saying?
06:14That poor Congress
06:15spokesperson is confused.
06:17Ask him to answer
06:18to your point.
06:18He is going on and on
06:20and going far away
06:21from the topic.
06:22Please ask him to
06:23stick to the topic
06:24and give his opinion.
06:26No, he said that, sir.
06:27He is saying
06:27that we allow protests.
06:29That the Congress
06:30allow protests
06:31and the BGP doesn't.
06:33We are talking about
06:35the approach
06:35by Janta Parties
06:36request for protest
06:38in Bangalore City's
06:39town hall.
06:40Rejected by the
06:41police commissioner,
06:42rejected by the
06:43High Court of Karnataka.
06:45All parties
06:45protest near the
06:47Freedom Park
06:47and let's uphold
06:48that rule over there.
06:49I don't know
06:50what the spokesperson
06:51of Congress
06:51is going on and on
06:53about BJP Ganesh Kumar
06:54which is not a part
06:55of the subject at all.
06:56No, he is talking
06:57about the root cause
06:58of the protest
06:59so it's not very far away
07:00from what really
07:00we are discussing.
07:01But Ashpreet,
07:02go ahead.
07:03My request is
07:04the BGP spokesperson
07:05needs to get his facts
07:07straight and stop
07:08with the propaganda.
07:09They have been allowed
07:10to carry out the march.
07:12They have been allowed
07:12to carry out the protest.
07:14Unlike the
07:15Bhatia Janta Party,
07:16we are not dictatorial.
07:17Sir, in Delhi,
07:18in Delhi today,
07:19in Delhi today,
07:21in Delhi today,
07:22the protests
07:22as I speak are happening.
07:24The Tiranga March
07:25is happening in Delhi
07:26as we speak.
07:27The Tiranga Rally
07:28is happening.
07:29That is,
07:29that is,
07:30my request is
07:31that is one thing
07:32but the Bhatia Janta Party
07:33did everything they could
07:35to try and stop it
07:36and the Bhatia Janta Party
07:37was saying that
07:37the Delhi High Court
07:38would put a stay on it
07:39but the Delhi High Court
07:40did not.
07:41Number two,
07:42that is because of
07:42the Honorable Delhi High Court
07:43that the protest
07:44is happening.
07:44the Bhatia Janta Party
07:46had no intention
07:46to allow for that to happen
07:48because they are scared,
07:50because they are afraid
07:50and they are bewildered
07:51of the students,
07:53of the Gen Z.
07:54My request to the Bhatia Janta Party
07:55is,
07:56why are you afraid
07:56of the Tiranga March?
07:57Why are you afraid
07:58of the Tiranga?
07:59Is that,
07:59does the Bhatia Janta Party
08:01feel they are the only ones
08:02who have monopoly
08:03over Tiranga?
08:04It belongs to every
08:05single citizen of the country.
08:06It belongs to 140 crore Indians.
08:09It is a pride
08:09has been,
08:10will always be.
08:11The Bhatia Janta Party
08:12spokesperson is laughing
08:13over Tiranga.
08:15While I was giving
08:17my statement over Tiranga,
08:19the Bhatia Janta Party
08:19spokesperson is laughing.
08:21He should be
08:21apologetic for this.
08:22He should be
08:23ashamed for this.
08:24What's so funny,
08:25Mr. Bhatia Janta Party
08:25The Bhatia Janta Party
08:27spokesperson
08:28legit laughed
08:29when I was talking
08:30about Tiranga.
08:31When I was talking
08:32about the pride
08:33that it holds for us,
08:35the Bhatia Janta Party
08:36would condemn
08:36the spokesperson
08:37for the act
08:38on the court.
08:39Let Mr. Bhaskar Rao explain.
08:40The Bhatia Janta Party
08:41act against the spokesperson
08:42who is laughing.
08:43Mr. Ashpur,
08:43one second.
08:43While I was talking
08:44about Tiranga holds for us.
08:47He is highly confused
08:48and he is talking
08:49about Tiranga, etc.
08:50And he is giving up Tiranga.
08:53Tiranga belongs to everybody.
08:54Nobody has taken
08:55away the Tiranga from him.
08:56It belongs to each
08:57and every one of us,
08:57including those Indians
08:59who are outside
08:59the country also.
09:00Why are you confused?
09:01Why are you getting
09:02agitated about it?
09:03Why are you so afraid?
09:04Why are you so scared
09:05of it then?
09:06Why are you so afraid then?
09:08Why are you trying
09:09to restrain it?
09:11Why are you trying
09:11to stop it?
09:13Answer her question.
09:14Please answer
09:15the anchor's question.
09:16She has got
09:16a specific question.
09:18Please answer her question.
09:19You are beating
09:19around the bush.
09:20The crowds of people
09:21are asking you question.
09:22Okay.
09:23Honorable Supreme Court
09:24also said,
09:25Justice Guyan said,
09:26mass disenfranchisement
09:27of voters
09:28is unconstitutional,
09:29is arbitrary.
09:30former chief election commissioners
09:31like Mr. Rawat
09:32and Qureshi,
09:33they have also said
09:34that this is explosive.
09:35This is unfortunate.
09:36No, the comparison,
09:36Mr. Bhaskar Rao,
09:39the comparison here
09:40is about Delhi
09:41and Bengaluru.
09:41In Bengaluru,
09:42now the Congress
09:43is saying
09:43we have allowed
09:43the protests to happen.
09:45They have been
09:45allowed to march
09:46with the Tiranga,
09:47with the tricolor
09:48and those images
09:49are on our screens
09:50versus Delhi
09:51where there have been
09:51non-stop clampdowns
09:52and detentions.
09:55Ask him to answer
09:56to the point.
09:56See,
09:57Bharati Janata Party
09:58also carried out
09:59a Tiranga Yatra.
10:00We did not protest
10:01against anybody.
10:01If you have a Tiranga
10:02in your hand,
10:03fine,
10:03absolutely fine,
10:04no issues.
10:05It has been your...
10:05So,
10:06having a Tiranga
10:07in your hand,
10:08you show your
10:09patriotic ideals
10:10over there
10:10and you march
10:11peacefully there
10:12and it's the matter
10:12over there
10:13and if it is given
10:14permission in Bangalore
10:15over there,
10:15yes,
10:16permission is given
10:17over there
10:17to have a show
10:19of Tiranga,
10:20not protest.
10:21But High Court
10:22as well as Police
10:23Commissioner
10:26in front of Town Hall
10:27and to do
10:28only at Freedom Park.
10:29I hope the
10:29Congress spokesperson
10:30is aware of all
10:31these things.
10:33Okay.
10:34May I please
10:35about that?
10:35Yeah,
10:36quickly Ashpreet
10:36and then I'll wrap
10:37this up.
10:38My request to the BGP
10:39is that we have
10:40all seen your
10:42approach towards
10:43protesters.
10:44We have all seen
10:45what happened
10:45when the students,
10:47the Gen Z
10:47was protesting
10:48against the
10:48need paper leak
10:49when 22 students
10:51had committed suicide.
10:52How they were
10:53roughed up,
10:53how pellets were
10:54used on their faces,
10:55their arms were
10:56filled with pellets,
10:56their faces were
10:57filled with pellets,
10:58how even women
10:59protesters were hit,
11:01where the lathees
11:01were hit.
11:02Everybody saw it.
11:03And after that,
11:03we all saw
11:04how much the
11:05Bhaati Janta Party
11:06was afraid of the
11:07protests.
11:07Look at the
11:07large numbers.
11:08Look,
11:09lakhs and lakhs
11:09of people are
11:10coming on the
11:11street.
11:11Why are they
11:12coming on the
11:12street?
11:12Because what
11:13you are doing
11:14is unconstitutional.
11:15What you are
11:15doing is illegal.
11:16And the Bhaati Janta
11:17Party will be
11:18brought to book
11:18for it.
11:19Your accountability
11:19will be fixed.
11:20And we will
11:21ensure that
11:22the,
11:22you see,
11:23the Honorable
11:23Supreme Court
11:24has already
11:24issued notice
11:25on so many
11:25petitions.
11:26With regards
11:27to suspension
11:28of SIR,
11:29with regards
11:29to suspension
11:30of Gyanesh
11:31Kumarji,
11:31the Chief
11:31Election Commissioner,
11:32with regards
11:33to the denotification
11:34of the Jantar
11:34Mantra as a
11:35protest site,
11:36these are
11:36unprecedented times.
11:38This says
11:39undeclared
11:39emergency that
11:41has been
11:41imposed by the
11:41Markei Janta Party.
11:42I've run out of
11:43time.
11:43You shouldn't be
11:44afraid of
11:44protests.
11:45I've run out of
11:46time.
11:47Ashpreet and
11:48Bhaskar Rao,
11:49thank you for
11:49joining us.
11:50Ultimately,
11:51Bengaluru,
11:51while the
11:52protest has been
11:52allowed,
11:53it came with
11:53a whole slew
11:53of terms
11:54and conditions
11:54where they
11:55wanted to
11:55protest town
11:56hall wasn't
11:57allowed.
11:58Similarly,
11:59in Delhi,
11:59when you have
12:00protests taking
12:00place,
12:01flash protests
12:01and otherwise,
12:03in different
12:03locations across
12:04the national
12:04capital and
12:05permission is
12:06not granted,
12:07you hear the
12:07opposition in
12:08one voice
12:08condemning it
12:09saying protests
12:09must be allowed.
12:11What is the
12:11BGP afraid of?
12:13And yet,
12:13in government
12:14in Karnataka,
12:15you see them
12:15following the
12:16norms,
12:16following the
12:16rules saying
12:17designated
12:17protest sites
12:18is only
12:19what can be
12:19recognized as
12:20a location
12:21for a
12:22stir.
12:22We leave it
12:23to you,
12:23the viewer,
12:24to decide
12:24which really
12:25is right,
12:26which is the
12:27right approach
12:27to ensuring a
12:28protest can
12:29take place
12:29peacefully.