As the ‘Kiss of Love’ event organisers threaten to defy police orders and carry on with the event on Sunday, many are waiting with bated breath to see if it will end with a clash with the police.
After having what the organisers termed a “cordial discussion” with the police on Thursday evening, they announced on Friday that the event will go on as per schedule near Town Hall. This is even after the police formally handed over a letter denying them permission to hold the event.
Vijayan Kallin, media coordinator for the event in Bengaluru, said the “movement” had gathered more support. “We tried our best to convince them that it will be peaceful. It is not a kissing competition but if people want to kiss, we cannot be the moral police and stop them,” he said. Sunday’s event is likely to include a protest march and sloganeering.
DCP (Central) Sandeep Patil told The Hindu that permission was denied on several grounds. “To begin with, it is not clear who the organisers were; who could be held responsible if something went wrong. There is no clarity on the mode of protest. We had apprehensions from what happened in other cities (New Delhi and Kochi in Kerala). Though there was no law and order issue, the mode of protest i.e., kissing in a public place amounts to obscenity under Section 294 of the IPC,” Mr. Patil said.
The police said they would “deal with the situation accordingly” if the organisers go ahead with the event.
Meanwhile, apart from the Sri Ram Sene, the Indian Christian Union on Friday wrote to the Police Commissioner threatening to “take law into its hands” if the police does not deal firmly and stop the event.
