Hyderabad: Former minister and BRS MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav on Friday strongly criticised the police for denying permission to a proposed rally by the Secunderabad Sadhana Samithi, calling it discriminatory and undemocratic.
Talasani said the organisers had sought permission for the rally five days in advance. However, police rejected the request late at night at 10.40 pm, leaving no time to approach the court for relief. He questioned why authorities did not inform them earlier if permission was not possible.
He alleged selective policing and said the government adopted double standards. Talasani claimed Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was allowed to hold rallies even without permission near the Secretariat.
According to him, police arrested anyone who tried to obstruct the Chief Minister’s rally. In contrast, he said authorities deployed thousands of police personnel and carried out arrests when the Secunderabad Sadhana Samithi called for a rally.
Secunderabad rally permission issue raises questions on policing
The former minister asked whether citizens did not have the right to protest for the existence of Secunderabad. He said the denial of Secunderabad rally permission violated democratic norms and the right to peaceful assembly.
Talasani said the police action resembled the imposition of a curfew. He alleged that authorities suppressed voices demanding justice for Secunderabad while allowing ruling party programmes without restrictions.
He demanded that the government explain the basis for denying Secunderabad rally permission. He also warned that such actions would deepen public resentment against the administration.
