Days ahead of the annual LGBT Pride Parade, the Mumbai Police denied permission to hold it at the August Kranti Maidan, citing security concerns. The parade was scheduled to be held on February 1.
The participants, around 15,000 people, will now gather at Azad Maidan, but will not take out the march.
According to police, the permission to hold the march was denied keeping in mind the political situation in the city in the wake of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
According to an Indian Express report, Humsafar Trust, which organises the event every year, had obtained permission for taking out the parade last week itself from Mumbai Traffic Police and Gamdevi police station.
However, on Sunday, there was a WhatsApp message being circulated with the words, 'Join the LGBTQIA community in upholding the values of the Constitution of India. Show up in big numbers to join the queer contingent that is against the NRC CAA. 1st Feb 3 pm August Kranti Maidan Queer Azaadi March,' according to Indian Express.
The police asked the trust to offer an explanation, and the trust officials were called to the police station and told that the march cannot be taken out as they hadn't applied permission to hold a protest.
"A law and order situation may develop if the march goes ahead in such a situation," a letter to the trust from the police read, according to the Indian Express report. Police also said it had information that anti-CAA slogans would be raised during the march and there would be banners displayed, opposing the citizenship act.
According to a Mumbai Mirror report, the police also said the march would "give a chance to others to infiltrate and mingle into the crowd and give it a political colour."
According to Mumbai Mirror, LGBTQIA+ rights activist Harish Iyer said they cannot have a march that does not speak about rights that are being denied because of NRC and CAA. He further said the gathering at Azad Maidan won't serve any purpose.
