Mahisha festival restricted to Town Hall 

Police clamps prohibitory orders in Mysuru till 6 a.m. of Monday

The city police have clamped prohibitory orders under section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in areas coming under the jurisdiction of Mysuru city police commissionerate, including Chamundi Hills, till 6 a.m. of September 30.

The orders are in place to restrict Mahisha Mandalothsava or Mahisha Dasara celebrations slated for Sunday, September 29, to Town Hall which is the venue for the event and has been exempted from the prohibitory orders.

The Commissioner of Police Seema Latkar issued a notification to this effect and said that the prohibitory order stems from the imperative of maintaining law and order in the city as there were groups supportive of, and also opposing the celebrations of Mahisha Mandalothsava.

She said that the former Mayor Purushottam as the president of Mahisha Mandalothsava Organising Committee had sought permission to organise the celebrations and the programme included garlanding the statue of Mahishasura atop Chamundi Hills.  

However, the Assistant Commissioner of Police of Krishnaraja red flagged the event on the grounds that there were other groups that were opposed to it and this could spark tension at Chamundi Hills and other parts of the city.

In addition, the police intelligence reported that former MP Pratap Simha and other BJP activists had plans to hold a “Chamundi Betta Chalo” rally to thwart the event in case the organisers of Mahisha Mandalothsava were permitted to garland the statue of Mahishasura at Chamundi Hills. The police also took note of social media posts and the controversy being generated by the issue which could escalate into law and order problem.

Ms. Latkar said the countdown for Mysuru Dasara 2024 which will commence from October 3 has begun, and a large number of tourists were expected to visit the city and Chamundi Hills during this period.

 As any law-and-order issue could have a negative bearing on the 10-day festival, it was imperative to clamp prohibitory orders in the jurisdiction of the Mysuru City Police Commissionerate and in a radius of 200 meters around Mahishasura statue at Chamundi Hills.

Consequently, the police have banned the assembly of five or more persons at a place, taking out processions, holding protests, bike rallies, raising slogans, bursting crackers, use of banners and flex, distribution of pamphlets in the city including Chamundi Hills in connection with Mahisha Dasara or Mandalothsava, till 6 a.m. of September 30.

Published - September 28, 2024 07:37 pm IST