Cops’ preventive notice in Tarikere raises civil liberty concerns

Chikkamagaluru: The Chikkamagaluru district police’s decision to issue a preventive notice to organisers of a Hindu Samajotsava in Tarikere town has ignited a larger debate on policing, freedom of expression and the limits of state authority, even as political tempers continue to rise.

The Hindu Samajotsava, part of district-wide events commemorating 100 years of the RSS, was scheduled with a public meeting and procession. Ahead of the programme, police served a notice to the organisers and keynote speaker Vikas Puttur, outlining how the event should be conducted and cautioning against speeches that could allegedly fall under the proposed Hate Speech Bill 2025.

What has drawn sharp criticism is the reference to a bill that is yet to be enacted or receive the Governor’s assent. BJP leaders and Hindu organisations argue that invoking a non-existent law amounts to pre-emptive censorship and an overreach by the police.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra termed the move “shameful” and said it exposed the Congress government’s “appeasement-driven governance”. “If the government is so desperate to curb Hindu gatherings that it resorts to citing laws not yet in force, it undermines democratic values and makes a mockery of governance,” he said, demanding accountability from the Chief Minister and Home Minister.

Former minister and BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar also questioned the rationale behind the notice. “Has the Hate Speech Bill become law? Has it received the Governor’s approval? Anticipatory bail is part of criminal law, but anticipatory notice before a law exists is unheard of,” he remarked, adding that such actions erode public trust in the police.

Adding to the criticism, Bajrang Dal leader Shyam alleged that the government was conspiring to halt Hindu awareness programmes that focus on cultural icons such as Chhatrapati Shivaji, Sri Krishna Devaraya and Swami Vivekananda. “When the programme cannot be stopped legally, the police misuse an unenforced law. This is nothing but abuse of power,” he said, warning of statewide protests.

The police, however, are yet to issue an official clarification on the notice. Legal experts note that while preventive policing is allowed, invoking provisions of a law that has not come into effect raises serious constitutional questions, particularly regarding freedom of speech and assembly.

As the controversy deepens, the episode has once again placed the spotlight on the balance between law enforcement, political neutrality and civil liberties in Karnataka.