Bengaluru, Aug 21: The Karnataka government’s newly introduced bill to regulate public gatherings and impose penalties for violations has been referred to a legislative House Committee following stiff opposition from the BJP. The decision comes in the wake of the June 4 stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations.
Speaker U.T. Khader announced that the Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Places of Gathering) Bill, 2025 will be reviewed by the committee for greater clarity. Home Minister G. Parameshwara, who tabled the bill, said overcrowding had become a recurring problem, and the state lacked a legal framework to regulate such events.
The bill proposes tiered permissions based on crowd size—local police approval for gatherings under 7,000, DySP/ACP approval for 7,000–50,000, and SP/Commissioner approval for more than 50,000 people. Organisers must seek permission at least 10 days in advance, and indemnity bonds of ₹1 crore will be mandatory for events exceeding 5,000 people.
Penalties include imprisonment up to three years and fines of ₹50,000 for spreading false information, while failure to follow police orders could lead to one month’s imprisonment. In cases of deaths or major tragedies, punishments range from three years to life imprisonment, with organisers held liable for property damage.
The BJP, however, strongly opposed the bill, calling it hasty and politically motivated. Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka argued that most provisions already exist and warned that harsh clauses, such as life imprisonment, could be misused. He demanded a clearer classification between commercial and non-commercial events.
Responding, Parameshwara agreed to send the bill to the House Committee, assuring exemptions for religious festivals, fairs, and government programmes.
