BENGALURU:The ‘Kiss of Love’ protest against moral policing, slated for Sunday in front of Town Hall, has been postponed.
Police had denied permission to the event. The organisers on Saturday announced the decision after meeting Police Commissioner M N Reddi. “We have decided to postpone the event and have yet to decide on a new date,” said Dilip, one of the organisers. He said the team would discuss the developments of the last few days and take a decision. “We will be holding meetings and talk to the NGOs that have come forward to support us,” he said.
The organisers submitted a letter to Reddi, and posted details on Facebook. “In order to allay their fears, we have now issued a detailed reply which clearly outlines our intention behind organising the event. We have stated that the intention is not to create a spectacle, or to engage in any obscene acts, and certainly not to create any public nuisance,” the post said.
The organisers said they had received many threat calls and messages. “We have requested more time and wish to address all the law and order issues the police have raised,” Dilip said.
The organisers also said they had no plans of dropping the word ‘Kiss’, which has raised the hackles of many detractors, from the campaign name.
Vijayan, another one of the organisers, said, “With all the opposition we faced in the media and the police department, we have given a set of rebuttals to the city police. It has 19 points wherein we have tried to answer to all the contentions raised by different groups. Except for one report which was more of a personal attack, we have tried to reply to all the questions.”
He also said contrary to popular belief, the opposition from so many has made the protesters more determined. He also said that sadly, the public’s focus has shifted from the protest’s objective of moral policing to the action of kiss.
“They need to understand that the kiss is only symbolic,” he said.
Commissioner Reddi confirmed he had received the letter. “They have informed us the protest has been postponed. We will go through their reply,” he said.
NGOs Support Protest
While many have raised their voice against the protest, there are groups which have come forward to show their support.
In addition to Amnesty International and the Alternative Law Forum, many women’s rights and LGBT groups are talking to the organisers on how they can contribute to the protest.
COURT SEEKS REPORT
The Sixth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court on Saturday directed the SJ Park police to probe and take appropriate action against those planning the protest. The court was hearing a petition filed by right-wing outfit Sri Ram Sene, senior advocate Amruthesh and a few others. The magistrate said it was wrong on the part of the organisers to hold the event and directed the city police to submit a detailed report by December 3.