BENGALURU, 21 AUG

The Opposition parties on Thursday pushed the Congress government to refer to Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Place of Gathering) Bill to a house committee for detailed discussion and scrutiny, expressing concerns that the proposed legislation may curtail protests and impact cultural and religious events.

The Bill is aimed at effectively controlling the crowd and managing mass gathering at events and functions and preventing unlawful gatherings.

Home Minister G Parameshwara said that the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede was a "wake-up call".

Any event in which less than 7,000 people are expected will require permission from the jurisdictional police station, while those with above 7,000 to 50,000 will require a permission from the Deputy SP or ACP. For events where more than 50,000 people will require permission from the SP or the Commissioner.

As per the Bill, organisers should apply for permission 10 days before the intended event, and it also provides for the organisers to execute an indemnity bond of Rs 1 crore. The indemnity bond is applicable for events where more than 50,000 people gather.

Those organising events without permission will face up to seven years imprisonment and Rs 1 crore fine. Any event that leads to disaster will attract up to seven years' jail in case of injuries and 10 years or life sentence for fatalities, the home minister said.

Causing a disturbance or breaching the peace during an event will result in three years' jail with Rs 50,000 fine. The provisions are not applicable for events held within private places.