India bans protest in Gwalior ahead T20I with Bangladesh

Bangladesh-India cricket series.

Dhaka, Oct 4 —The Indian authorities have banned protests and the circulation of inflammatory materials on social media ahead of a T20I match between India and Bangladesh on October 6. The ban will remain in place until October 7. 

A political party named Hindu Mahasabha called for a protest on the match day. They have earlier called for the same, alleging that religious minorities are being persecuted in Bangladesh. 

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has urged the Indian authority to ensure the required security measures for the Bangladesh team. 

Security was also heightened in Kanpur, the site of the India-Bangladesh Test match, following similar threats.

Indian news outlet NDTV reported that more than 1500 police personnel have been deployed to manage traffic flow in Gwalior. 

Ruchika Chauhan, the district magistrate in Gwalior, issued the prohibitory instruction under a Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) law. They said different right-wing organisations called to cancel the match, and they also conducted processions and other types of demonstrations. 

According to the Indian media report, anyone in the district will face legal action if they share anything inflammatory on social media, and banners, posters, and cutouts with questionable content will remain banned. 

The situation was created after some right-wing groups questioned the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh. Recently, Bangladesh saw a change in the regime after a popular uprising among students and citizens ousted the previous government under Sheikh Hasina. Upon her ouster, there were incidents of attacks on Hindus in several parts of the country. - UNB