MYSURU, MANDYA, CHAMARAJANAGAR: After having imposed prohibitory orders since midnight, the police on Friday granted permission for the Mahisha Utsav and Buddha Damma Deeksha convention after the organisers changed the name of the event from Mahisha Dasara.
Permission was granted on the grounds that no pro or against slogans will be raised, no loudspeakers will be used, no flexes put up or pamphlets distributed or processions taken out.
Writer Prof K S Bhagawan, Prof Mahesh Chandra Guru, Urilinga Peddi Swami, former mayor Purushotham and others participated in the Utsav by garlanding a statue of Dr Ambedkar at the Town Hall premises.
A poster with the slogan ‘Jai Mahishasura Chakravarthy’ was seen on the stage and a Mahisha tableau also accompanied a bike rally. A man dresses as Mahishasura was also seen at the event.
Despite the prohibitory orders in Mysuru, a bike rally was taken out by the Mahisha Samiti from Ambedkar Park in Ashokapuram to the Town Hall in Mysuru. Earlier, the police made announcements regarding the prohibitory orders, but the activists ignored the warnings.
Dalit leaders from taluk centres in Chamarajanagar district also headed to Mysuru to participate in the Mahisha Utsav after garlanding a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in front of the deputy commissioner’s office and raising slogans.
A bike rally was also taken out from Mandya to Mysuru after garlanding statues of Ambedkar and Babu Jagjivan Ram in front of the DC’s office. The participants also raised slogans for the success of the event.