Bengaluru: The Karnataka Police have denied permission for the Chikmagalur district level Sahitya Sammelan literature festival at Sringeri scheduled for January 10 and 11 over law and order apprehensions.
The organisers have been directed to put off the programmes owing to disturbances in recent days because of new citizenship law protests.
There had been some opposition to selection of Kulkuli Vittal Hegde as the president of the Chikkamagaluru District Kannada Sahitya Sammelana due to his left leanings.
The Parishad president Kunduru Ashok, however, had said there were no second thoughts on his selection as he was democratically chosen by members and is a Kannada sahitya academy award winner.
After this, the government had withheld funds for festival. But organisers had decided to go ahead with the programme. However, the police has now denied permission over apprehensions that the festival could be used as a platform to settle personal motives or raise any slogans.
"Such an unhealthy development could take a bad turn in coming days and disturb public harmony. As such, no organisation has been given permission to hold processions or rallies and demonstrations. Similarly, the Parishad's plea for holding your 'Sammelan' convention is rejected," the directive reads.
It asks the parishad prsident to postpone the programme in view of the law and order concerns. It further warns that if the parishad goes ahed witth its plan , and there are untoward incidents or disruptions, the organisers would be held responsible for that and legal action would be taken against them.
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