Assembly forms 11-member panel to review controversial crowd control bill

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly has constituted an 11-member House committee to review the contentious Karnataka Crowd Control (Management of Gatherings at Events and Venues) Bill, 2025. The committee will be headed by Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara, and Speaker U.T. Khader announced its formation under Rule 247 of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure.

The bill, introduced in the wake of the June 4 stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11 people, seeks to regulate gatherings, mandate permissions for public events, and curb unlawful assemblies. However, it has drawn criticism from opposition legislators and rights groups who fear the legislation may be misused to curb protests and restrict religious or cultural activities.

Apart from Dr. Parameshwara, the review panel includes Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil, and MLAs Rizwan Arshad, Srinivasayya N., Ravishankar D., Srinivas V. Mane, Prakash K. Koliwad, H.D. Thammaiah, V. Sunil Kumar, S.R. Vishwanath, and G.D. Harish Gowda. The committee has been tasked with submitting a report after detailed scrutiny of the bill’s provisions.

The draft bill mandates prior permission for all public gatherings, with a tiered approval system based on expected crowd size: Up to 7,000 people: Permission from the local police station, 7,000 to 50,000 people Approval from the DySP or ACP (in Bengaluru), Above 50,000 people: Clearance from the district SP or Police Commissioner.

Organizers would also be required to apply at least 10 days in advance and furnish a compensation bond of up to ₹1 crore for events expecting more than 50,000 attendees.

The legislation prescribes severe penalties for violations.

Hosting events without permission could invite imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of ₹1 crore. In case of mishaps, organizers could face up to 10 years in jail or even life imprisonment if fatalities occur. Disturbances or riots during events could attract a three-year prison term and ₹50,000 fine.

Importantly, the bill exempts private family functions such as weddings and events held on private premises, including rented or leased venues.Home Minister Parameshwara defended the bill, insisting it was necessary to prevent tragedies like the Chinnaswamy incident. He stressed that the provisions aimed at ensuring safety, accountability, and transparency in large gatherings.

“The bill is not intended to stifle protests or cultural activities. It is to regulate crowd management, enforce accountability, and fix responsibility on organizers in case of untoward incidents,” he explained. He added that the requirement for advance permission would likely be reduced from 10 days to 5 days, and the compensation bond for religious events would be halved following concerns raised by lawmakers.