Bengaluru park walkers irked with Jaishankar’s ‘meet and greet’, asks EC to ban. . .

Bengaluru's Cubbon Park Walkers Association (CPWA) have written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) urging the agency to ban ‘political meetings’ in parks such as Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, citing disturbance to animals and birds. This comes a day after BJP leader and minister of external affairs, S Jaishankar held a public meeting in Cubbon Park along with Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan. 

The CPWA issued a press note on Monday that read," The CPWA takes strong exception to the public meeting held within Cubbon park by External Affairs minister Shri S Jaishankar and Bengaluru (South) MP Shri Tejaswi Surya. Such public meetings disturb small animals and birds, besides people who come to the park for some solitude. This being election season, there is a chance of leaders of other political parties to holding such meetings, which can pose a threat to the park.”

On Sunday during the public meet, Jaishankar had remarked,"The West thinks it has a God-given right to comment on internal matters of other countries". 

Jaishankar said, "I will give you the truthful answer (on why we see West commenting on India). There are two reasons. It is because the West has a bad habit of commenting on others. They somehow think it is some kind of God-given right. They will have to learn only by experience that if they keep doing this, other people will also start commenting and they will not like it when it happens. And I see that happening."

The association further stated that “we would also like to clarify that no member of the Cubbon Park Walkers Association participated in the meeting, as we were not informed of the same in the first place. We request the Election Commission not to permit such meetings in the park in the future.”

He added, "The second part of the truth - In our arguments, you are inviting the people to comment on you. Then more and more people are tempted to comment. We also need to stop giving generous invitations to the world saying there are problems in India, and (urging) America and the world (by saying), why are you standing by doing nothing? So if somebody from here goes and says why are you standing by and saying nothing, then obviously they are going to comment. Part of the problem is them, and part of the problem is us. And I think both need fixing."

The Sunday's 'Meet and Greet’ event was organized by MPs Mohan and Surya.