Program in Palestine cancelled in city after police permission denied

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: A cultural event in solidarity with Palestine scheduled at Rangashankara in the city was cancelled after the police denied permission for the program citing security concerns.

The event, slated for Wednesday at 5:30 pm in Bengaluru, aimed to condemn Israel's ongoing activities in Palestine through a combination of poetry recitals and a short play, featuring artists MD Pallavi, Shwetanshu Bora, and Ramnik Singh.

Singer MD Pallavi took to Facebook to share a poster announcing the cancellation of the program, citing the refusal of permission by the police.

Expressing disappointment, Ramnik Singh remarked, "We decided to read poems along with Pallavi MD and Shwetanshu Bora. By threatening an organization like Rangashankar to cancel this program, the Karnataka state government has shown its lack of commitment to democracy."

The decision sparked outrage on social media, with individuals expressing their discontent over the government's move.

When asked, the police said that the permission was denied as a preventive measure and that they did not want to take a chance. Earlier, the Bengaluru police had booked case against a group of individuals for holding a silent demonstration in solidarity with Palestine.

Shushma Rao, a Facebook user, commented on MD Pallavi's post, saying, "What I fail to understand is, why is permission required to perform in a performance venue? It's a reading, not any other kind of demonstration. The space is meant for performance. This is just ridiculous!"

Another individual expressed that we are no longer a democratic country.