Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) chairman Prof M Kodandaram said the State government was targeting him as he was questioning it on behalf of people of Telangana.
“This government has targeted people of the state and me for fighting for the people of the state,” he said speaking to newsmen here on Thursday.
Mr Kodandaram was here today as part of preparations for the ensuing public meeting ‘Koluvulakai kotlata’ scheduled to be held at Hyderabad on October 31. He held discussions with representatives of various peoples’ organizations and how they planned to mobilize people for the said public meeting.
Later he told newsmen that the state government was suppressing protests and usurping the right to associate, protest and hold meetings. The rights conferred by the Constitution under Article 19 cannot be taken away by any government. The state government was suppressing the JAC and its activities by denying permission to hold meetings and rallies.
“This government is no different from the Andhra government it fought during separate Telangana movement. This government is giving same reasons such as law and order restrained it to accord permission for meetings and rallies,” the former professor pointed out.
He said no government has any right to ban public meetings and protest demonstrations for whatever reasons. They could only put some conditions. The JAC held several meetings without posing any threat to peace and order in the society. This time too, it plans to hold a peaceful meeting with educated unemployed youth demanding jobs on the plank on which this government came to power. The much promised jobs elude the youth in Telangana state.
The JAC leader said they were forced to move Court for permissions to hold public meeting and rallies. He appealed to people of Telangana to attend in large numbers for the public meeting to be held on October 31 at Hyderabad.
Bar Association president Ch Rajendra Prasad and others were present.
