BJP Leaders Meet Home Minister, Seek Action On Police, MIM M

A delegation of Telangana BJP leaders comprising State unit president Dr K Laxman, former MP Bandaru Dattatreya, and former MLAs G Kishan Reddy and Chintala Ramachandra Reddy today met Home Minister Mahmood Ali and submitted a memorandum seeking his intervention to rein in forces "which were out to disrupt peace and harmony in the State by fomenting hatred amongst communities".

They said that the slew of incidents that took place on May 5 were the result of a larger conspiracy to disturb peace in the city. However, what was shocking was the hostile attitude that the police evinced in the entire episode, they claimed. The police personnel behaved as if they were present at the disputed area to protect the "conspirators" and punish those who were standing there by the administration, they said.

Narrating the incident, the BJP leaders said that GHMC officials had demolished a private house as part of road-widening work at Amberpet where the construction of a flyover was going. The house belonged to a private individual, who had taken compensation from the GHMC and given his consent for the demolition.

However, a few outsiders led by MIM MLA Ahmed Pasha Quadri reached the spot and raked up a non-existent controversy. The MLA also started offering prayers at the site claiming that the land belonged to the Wakf Board.

At this juncture, the local residents, who were keen on the road widening and fast construction of the flyover, took objection to the obstruction being created by the outsiders with vested interests. The outsiders, emboldened by the presence of the MIM MLA, started pelting stones at the locals, as a result of which many people and police officials sustained injuries.

The police personnel then resorted to lathi charge indiscriminately, and a curfew-like situation ensued as people were not allowed to come out of their homes even for medical emergencies.

The BJP leaders said that BJP MLA Raja Singh and MLC N Ramchander Rao tried to go to the spot as they received many calls from the people of Amberpet about police "high-handedness" and the belligerence of the outsiders. However, when Singh reached the spot and was trying to understand the situation, the police prevented him. The Police Commissioner even used abusive language despite the fact that he was dealing with an elected public representative, the BJP leaders alleged.

The BJP leaders said that the policemen behaved as if their duty was to protect the MIM supporters and MLA, who had trespassed upon the government land and was obstructing officials from discharging their duties, and treated them royally while Raja Singh and Ramchander Rao were abused and arrested.

They requested the Home Minister to initiate appropriate action against the police officials for their high-handedness with the local people of Amberpet and Raja Singh.