Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha Member V. Hanumantha Rao seems to be in trouble following a non-bailable case booked against him by the Tirupati Urban Police on Sunday.
The case has been slapped under Section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with an intent to cause riot) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of Indian Penal Code. Section 153-A is non-bailable.
Former TUDA Chairman Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, who is also a former ex-officio member of the TTD Trust Board, filed a complaint with the police that the MP from the Telangana region had made a political speech at the sacred Tirumala hills in violation of the norms. “At a time when tensions are prevailing in this area due to the Seemandhra agitation, the honourable MP made a statement prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different regions and disturbing public tranquillity,” he said in his complaint.
An advocate-turned-politician, Dr. Bhaskar Reddy felt that Mr. Rao’s comments on the fate of the employees hailing from Seemandhra region and residing at Hyderabad, which were aired through the print and electronic media, were most unwarranted, especially when the agitation was seriously on.
He submitted his complaint to Superintendent of Police (Tirupati Urban) S.V. Rajasekhar Babu. Advocates led by Tirupati Bar Association President P. Ramana also complained to the SP on the issue.
“So far, no incident giving rise to law and order problem has taken place in Tirumala-Tirupati, but the MP’s speech was provocative in nature, having the potential to cause ill-will between people of Telangana and Seemandhra regions,” Bhaskar Reddy told the media later.
SV University Joint Action Council (JAC) members also met the SP and complained to him that Mr. Rao had uttered unconstitutional statements regarding the residential status of Seemandhra people living in Hyderabad and sought legal action against the MP.
TNSF files complaint
President of Telugu Nadu Students Federation A. Ravi Naidu also filed a complaint against Mr Hanumantha Rao.
In his complaint with the Two Town Police at Tirumala, Mr. Naidu said that the reported remarks that all Seemandhra employees working in Hyderabad would have to quit the city had subjected them to a sense of great insecurity and termed the remarks as a violation of the basic principle – Right to Live guaranteed by the Constitution of India.
