Mangaluru City Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar has permitted the Popular Front of India (PFI) to conduct a public programme in Nehru Maidan on Friday subject to conditions in a volte-face of the ban order issued earlier in the day prohibiting the organisation from holding any such public function in the Commissionerate limits.
The ban order was issued as the PFI had not applied for permission to conduct Friday’s Unity March and public function at Ullal. The order was also issued keeping in view of earlier incidents of major law and order problems after PFI’s earlier programmes at Shivamogga and Udupi, Mr. Sekhar said.
He told The Hindu that PFI later approached the city police with a proper application to conduct the programme. It changed the venue from Ullal to city centre and also agreed not to conduct any procession, the Commissioner said.
As such, the police permitted holding of the programme between 2.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. at Nehru Maidan, said an official communiqué.
In an earlier press release, the Commissioner had said the PFI’s Ullal programme came to the notice of the police through a press note. “It has been observed that similar programmes held in Shivamogga in 2015 and in Udupi in 2014 had resulted in major law and order problems,” he said.
He further said PFI was informed about the possible law and order problems arising out of Friday’s function at Ullal and the explanation offered by the organisation was not satisfactory. As such, exercising his powers as the Additional District Magistrate, the Commissioner prohibited all outdoor public functions of PFI and its allied organisations till February 25 under Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure.
At the same time, the police got several hoardings, welcome arches and other publicity material erected by PFI in Ullal in connection with Friday’s programme removed.
Meanwhile, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner K.G. Jagadeesha, in a separate order, has banned all outdoor programmes of PFI and its associates in four other taluks outside the City Police Commissionerate till February 19.
