Allow BJP to protest at Indira Park on July 25, Telangana HC orders cops

Hyderabad: On Monday, Telangana High Court directed the police to allow Telangana BJP general secretary G Pradeep Kumar to hold a dharna at the Dharna Chowk at Indira Park on July 25 between 10 am to 5 pm with 500 persons.

Justice CV Bhaskar Reddy passed the order to the commissioner of police, Hyderabad City and the deputy commissioner of police, Central Zone to this effect.

A petition for permission was filed in the court after it was denied by the police citing law and order issues.

As per the petitioner, the party is planning to hold a dharna at Dharna Chowk with 1,000 BJP party workers, including Union tourism minister G Kishan Reddy and other central ministers. They will be speaking on the issue of the allotment of double-bedroom houses to the eligible poor in Telangana.

Rachna, counsel for the petitioner, informed the court that the double-bedroom houses scheme, which is a flagship programme of the Telangana government, is not being implemented in a transparent manner as the eligible persons are being left out and the quality of construction is also not good. She further informed the court that when Kishan Reddy, wanted to visit the double-bedroom houses at Batasingaram, he was restrained from doing so ‘for reasons best known to the police.’

The counsel further informed the court that after filing the writ petition in the High Court, the application of the petitioner on July 14 seeking permission was rejected and the same was furnished to the court.

Countering the petitioner’s arguments, Roopender, a government pleader for Home, Telangana, informed the court that holding a dharna with 1,000 persons will create law and order issues. He said that there the inauguration of the new steel bridge at Indira Park is scheduled and the dharna might result in the steel bridge being damaged.

Justice Bhaskar Reddy, while brushing aside the contentions of the GP for Home, asked which other places are available for the people to vent their ire on the government, if not for Indira Park. He said it is the fundamental right of the citizens to speak and it cannot be thwarted by the Govt. The judge said that if the police are not able to maintain law and order, then they should issue passes to the people who attend the dharna so that they will be given adequate security.

The judge directed the petitioner to furnish an undertaking stating that not more than 500 persons will attend the dharna and also list the leaders who will be attending the protest so that adequate security will be provided to them.