Politicians Slam Cops' Assault On Scribe At Medaram

Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment Bandaru Dattatreya today condemned the assault on senior journalist Pasham Yadagiri, Dr Ramakrishna Rao and others by Eturunagaram ASP Vishwajit on Wednesday.

The incident allegedly happened when Sarojini, the wife of Pasham Yadagiri, was being taken by an ambulance for emergency medical treatment. The police stopped the vehicle, and despite the journalist explaining the emergency situation, the ASP reportedly roughed up Yadagiri and others. The ASP allegedly also detained them in the police station for over three hours.

In a statement on Thursday, the Union minister stated, "The assault by the ASP when Sarojini, the wife of Pasham Yadagiri, was being taken by an ambulance for emergency medical treatment was shocking. The group was on a pilgrimage to Medaram to attend the Samakka-Sarakka jatara, which has been declared a State festival."

The Union minister lamented that if this was the treatment meted out to respected members of the society, who were in an emergency situation, then the impunity and high-handedness of the police towards ordinary people could only be imagined.

"The matter becomes worse if one is to consider that the official involved was from the Indian Police Service, and is expected to be a role-model of police behaviour and relationship towards the general public," the minister said.

Dattatreya also spoke to Warangal DIG Malla Reddy on the phone and demanded an inquiry into the barbaric incident and a suitable punishment to the erring police officer.

TPCC chief official spokesperson Dr Dasoju Sravan Kumar also condemned the incident, and alleged that the police attack on Yadagiri, who played a key role in the Telangana movement, was an example of their atrocities.

Speaking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday, Sravan demanded that the State government immediately suspend ASP Vishwajit, who attacked Yadagiri physically.

"The police, who are supposed to cooperate by giving way to the ambulance, instead obstructed the vehicle and attacked the ambulance driver," he said, and demanded that the government file a case under the SC/ST Atrocities Act against the ASP.

Telangana CPI secretary Chada Venkata Reddy also strongly condemned the attack. He demanded that the TRS government initiate rigorous action against the overbearing police official.