MLAs oppose 11.30 p.m. deadline for festival celebrations in Dakshina Kannada
Y. Bharat Shetty, Mangaluru City North MLA, raised the matter at the Dakshina Kannada District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (Disha) meeting, presided over by Capt. Brijesh Chowta, MP.
Dr. Shetty also opposed the police instructing the event organisers to install a sufficient number of CCTV cameras and retain the footage for 30 days.
Dr. Shetty and D. Vedavyasa Kamath, Mangaluru City North MLA, stated that the deadline imposed by the police would undermine the spirit of 'Mosaru Kudike' celebrations during Sri Krishna Janmashtami and the immersion processions of idols during Ganeshotsava and Navaratri.
'The deadline is like not allowing vehicles on the road because accidents happen,' Mr. Kamath said.
Mr. Kamath said that the Dasara procession of Kudroli Gokarnanatha Temple is held all night. 'Will the police stop it?' he asked.
Bhagirathi Murulya, MLA, Sullia, questioned the government, asking schools, including both government and private ones, not to spare their premises for religious public programmes, such as the Ganesha festival.
Mr. Kamath said that in some government schools, the Ganesha festival has been celebrated as a public event by worshipping the Ganesha idol for the past 50 years. It is not proper to stop such celebrations.
The MLAs asked Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan to direct the police to lift the cap.
It may be mentioned here that, besides making it mandatory for organisers of public events and processions to obtain permission from the police and other concerned departments, the Mangaluru City and Dakshina Kannada district police stated on July 3 that no event will be permitted beyond 11:30 p.m. during the soon-approaching festival season.
The police released detailed guidelines for conducting events ahead of Muharram (July 6), Janmashtami and 'Mosaru Kudike' (August 16), Ganesh Chaturthi (August 27), Navaratri, Deepavali, and Christmas, lined up in the coming days, to ensure public safety, peace, and adherence to the law. 'Event-specific detailed instructions, including routes, timings, sound, etc., would be issued for each event, and organisers should provide their details,' Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy and Superintendent of Police K. Arun said.
Organisers must obtain a no-objection certificate from the venue owner if the event is being held in a private venue. 'Events held beyond 11.30 p.m. would be treated as 'unlawful assembly',' the police said. Events should be organised at approved locations and on approved routes, they said.
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