Deputy Commissioner of Raichur, Sasikanth S. Senthil issued an order on Monday, banning all protests, demonstrations, agitations, dharnas , use of loudspeakers, playing loud instruments, raising slogans, submitting memorandums to authorities in groups in the premises of the office of Deputy Commissioner with immediate effect.
President of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum and the Magistrate of District Family Court, had written letters to the D.C. on November 17 and December 19 respectively asking him to ban all the agitations by stating that they were disturbing their regular office work.
The office premises of the D.C. houses five workplaces including offices of the D.C., Assistant Commissioner, District Treasury, Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies and District Family Court.
“Since these are the offices that are regularly visited by common public including farmers for their various work, the staff need to work with concentration. The staff are unable to concentrate on their work owing to the increased number of protest demonstrations in the premises. The Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner who serve as executive magistrates as well are finding it difficult discharge their magisterial duties due to the disturbance caused by the protests. The increased agitations are also disturbing regular court proceedings in the family court,” the order reads.
The order has restricted the public to stage protests and dharnas only at Tipu Sultan park, outside the office premises of D.C. “Only a delegation of not more than 10 people can visit the concerned offices and submit memorandum,” the order says.
Heated exchange
Unaware of the order, hundreds of slum dwellers began to stage a pre-decided demonstration in the premises for a while. The police, after exchange of heated words with the agitators, cleared the place. The protesters were forcibly herded to Tipu Park where they staged half-day demonstration on their demands.
Taking serious exceptions to the order, the agitating slum dwellers said that the order deprived them of their constitutionally guaranteed right to protest against injustice and exploitation. They said that the order indicated how the power centres were moving away from people instead of moving towards them.
