Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jan 19: In tune with a government directive, the police in the city have been charging people and organizations who want to hold protests here. As per sources, charges for protests might be as little as Rs 500 for simple protests without the use of loudspeakers and sans causing any disturbance. The charges can go up to one lac rupees if the protesters also want to hold processions.

The collection is done as per government orders issued on October 10, 2018 and November 27, 2018. Permission for functions, processions, meetings etc would be given only after the requisite fee is remitted. However, Muneer Katipalla, Democratic Youth Federation of India state president, points out that the government order is applicable only for private programmes but that his organization held protest relating to public cause, but a sum of Rs 500 was collected for the same.

Representative picture

Katipalla mentioned that in the past, a nominal fee was charged per day for use of loudspeakers unlike now. He feels that the new guidelines are aimed at quelling the dissent.

SDPI has also come down heavily on the guidelines to collect charges from protesters and warned that it would resort district-wide protest unless the police stop collecting fee as above.

City police commissioner, T R Suresh, said that charges as per the government instructions are being collected.