Legislators from opposition parties, political leaders, and activists aired their dissent at the ban placed on ‘Dharna Chowk’ as protests site near Indira Park, by observing a ‘silent protest’ at the Martyrs Memorial in front of the Legislative Assembly here on Friday.
Speaking after the protest, TJAC chairperson M.Kodandram warned the State government that every slum will become a protest site if the ‘Dharna Chowk’ is not revived. Right to protest is a constitutional right, and suppression of the same is antithetical to democracy, he cautioned. The government’s attitude was amply evident in handcuffing the farmers who had protested at Khammam market yard, he said. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N.Uttam Kumar Reddy criticised the TRS regime as “dictatorship” by Chief Minister K.Chandrashekhar Rao, and demanded an apology from government for handcuffing the farmers. BJP legislator N.V.S.S.Prabhakar condemned the cases being slapped against protesting students and farmers. Legislators Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, Sunnam Rajaiah, CPI(M) state secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram, former Rajya Sabha member of CPI Aziz Pasha, former MLC Chukka Ramaiah, TDP-Telangana State president L.Ramana, AAP leader P.Vishweshwar Rao, and many others participated in the silent protest, and urged people to make the ‘Occupy Dharna Chowk’ programme on May 15, a success.
