As visuals of police action from a protest against SIR and India’s Chief Election Commissioner near KR Circle in Bengaluru on October 12 went viral on social media, the criticism was swift and scathing. Angry citizens decried the hypocrisy of the Congress in stifling dissent at home while upholding democratic values elsewhere, amid comparisons with the earlier BJP regime.
What does the 2021 order around regulation of protests in the city actually say? Is the right to protest being systematically undermined in Bengaluru? Should a line be drawn between maintaining law and order and suppressing dissent? We discuss.
Reporting: Nalme Nachiyar
Video: Ravichandran N, Allen Egenuse J
Editing: Ravichandran N
Published – October 16, 2026 05:34 pm IST
