The Congress government found itself in an indefensible position on Sunday when the Telangana Joint Action Committee ignored mutually agreed deadline of 7 p.m to vacate Necklace Road, venue of the Telangana march.
Protesting what it called the ‘unprecedented repression’ unleashed by the police all over Telangana, the TJAC leadership also violated the assurance given to the government that the march would be peaceful.
What is causing worry for the government now is whether the TJAC’s decision to stay put at the Necklace Road till its demands are met could impact the prestigious UN-sponsored Convention on Biodiversity beginning at HICC here on Monday.
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Panchayat Raj Minister K. Jana Reddy, who was entrusted the task of holding discussions with TJAC leadership on permission had gone on record that the march would be peaceful.
On Sunday, he tried to shift the blame on the police saying that their highhandedness had led to unrest among the Telangana protagonists. Congress MPs also tried to convey the impression that the police had reneged on its promise not to resort to repressive measures.
When contacted, some of the Ministers from Telangana were unwilling to react to the chain of developments on Sunday. All that they said was the government had acted cautiously to avoid any major untoward incident. One Minister, however, felt that police action was uncalled for. He felt that if those coming for the march were allowed easy access, such tension would not have taken place.
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However, a senior Minister wishing anonymity said that Government had given permission in good faith. “It is the TJAC leadership, which went back on its promise of making the meeting a peaceful affair. In the given circumstances, it is very clear that Government had exercised best available option to allow the march.
By imposing restrictions, it had succeeded in ensuring that the City was not held to ransom by the protestors,” he remarked.
‘Kiran under pressure’
Another Minister admitted that the Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy was helpless as he was under tremendous pressure to concede the request of his cabinet colleagues from Telangana to permit the march.