IT'S CRUNCH TIME, NOW

IT'S CRUNCH TIME, NOW

Bangalore geared up for jam-packed rally today

MK Madhusoodan. Bangalore



It's being billed as the mother of all rallies and probably another bad day for city traffic. The state higher education department's anti-terror campaign rally at the Palace Grounds on Saturday will see over 1.25 lakh students from Bangalore and adjoining rural areas participating.
The city police, which had a tough time manning traffic during the JD(S) rally in November last year, is not taking any chances. The police have asked people to avoid Bellary and Nandidurga Road on Saturday. The two roads that connect the rest of the city to central Bangalore are the two main entry points for the rally venue.
Entry for vehicles to the Palace Grounds from Gayatri Vihar is also barred. The police have given clearance only for VIP vehicles. "There will be no entry for any other vehicles," assistant commissioner of police (traffic, east) Nagappa said.
Despite elaborate measures, the police are keeping their fingers crossed. City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari had given permission for only 25,000 people but some senior police officials believe the numbers could swell.
"If that happens, we can't do much. We can only give a notice for violating the limit," a senior police official told DNA.
The 730 buses, which have been put on rally duty for the students, have not been given permission to park near the Palace Grounds. This means they would either be parked at CV Raman Road or Sadashivanagar, which are high-traffic areas. • Terror and contempt rally p2• Netas will have last laugh p4• The big rally headache p8• Ensure safe rally p14