Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and Member of Parliament from Nalgonda N. Uttam Kumar Reddy came down heavily on City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar for his alleged ‘arrogance’ while denying permission for the Congress party’s ‘Save Nation Save Constitution’ rally on Saturday.
Mr. Reddy, who called up Mr. Anjani Kumar asking the reasons for permission not being given, was angered when the latter apparently disconnected the phone abruptly. The TPCC chief used some harsh words to condemn Mr. Anjani Kumar’s attitude whom he accused of being partisan.
“Hyderabad Police Commissioner by his brazenly partisan behaviour and shameless servility, has conducted himself in a manner unbecoming of an IPS officer. He should consider putting KPS (Kalvakuntla Police Service) on his epaulettes rather than IPS,” he said while addressing the Satyagraha at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday.
The party, after being denied permission for the rally, decided to sit on a day-long dharna within the Gandhi Bhavan premises.
To meet Governor
The TPCC also announced that the Congress party would meet Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and lodge a complaint against the CP and seek action against him. He said as per Section 8 of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014, the Governor has powers to intervene in the matters of Law and Order.
Mr. Reddy also objected to the arrest of hundreds of Congress workers on their way to Gandhi Bhavan and erection of barricades closing the premises. The barricades were removed after he lodged a complaint with Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy.
“We wanted to take out a peaceful rally with national flags from Gandhi Bhavan to Dr. Ambedkar Statue and recite the Preamble of the Constitution.” How come entire traffic was stopped to facilitate members of the RSS march wielding sticks from L.B. Nagar to Saroornagar Stadium under police escort, he asked. Permission was also given to AIMIM to hold a public meeting at Darussalaam, he said.
Police brazenness
CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka said the brazenness with which police was behaving reflected how the State was being run by Mr. K. Chandrasekhar Rao. He said KCR teaming up with AIMIM was creating a drama on CAA while supporting the BJP in all its decisions. He also read out the Preamble of the Constitution.
AICC incharge for Telangana R.C. Khuntia asked the police to work as per the Constitution and not by the dictates of the Chief Minister. He said both TRS and MIM were working to favour Mr. Modi and MIM was helping the BJP win by contesting in several States to split the votes.
Earlier, speaking after hoisting party flag on the occasion of party’s 135th Formation Day, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy called upon people to unite against the BJP’s “communal plans” of dividing the country on the basis of religion. He accused the TRS government of insulting the Congress party which brought independence to the country and also created Telangana State.
Failures of TRS
Listing out failures of the TRS government, he said it did not provide the promised unemployment allowance to a single youth and crop loan of not a single farmer has been waived off. He said the Rythu Bandhu scheme was not implemented fully. KCR has also “cheated Muslims” with promises like 12% reservation, three acres of land for Dalits and Girijans and double bedroom houses for weaker sections.
MLAs Seethakka, D. Sreedhar Babu and senior leaders K. Jana Reddy, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Ponnam Prabhakar, Chinna Reddy, Nerella Sharada were among present.
Reach Ambedkar statue
Despite strong police presence and denial of permission, TPCC general secretary Manavata Roy along with a few other student leaders reached the Ambedkar statue on Tank Bund as a part of the Congress party’s call for rally against CAA with the slogan “Save India Save Constitution”.
The students tried to garland the statue but the police picked them along with others who reached there. The group raised slogans against the CAA and also condemned police action.
