RS Praveen Kumar questions denial of permission for BRS farmers’ rally in Miryalaguda

BRS general secretary RS Praveen Kumar questioned the denial of permission for a farmers’ rally led by KT Rama Rao in Miryalaguda on September 3. He demanded lifting of Section 30 and alleged selective police restrictions against Opposition programmes.

Hyderabad: BRS general secretary RS Praveen Kumar questioned the Congress government’s decision to deny permission for a proposed farmers’ rally led by BRS working president KT Rama Rao in Miryalaguda on September 3. He demanded that Section 30 be lifted and permission be granted for BRS’s peaceful protest programmes.

He said the programme announced by Rama Rao did not violate the Constitution and that Article 19 guaranteed citizens the right to peaceful protest. He demanded to know why permission was denied for the Miryalaguda meeting and why Section 30 had been imposed across the State. He said such restrictions were generally associated with situations involving religious processions.

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Speaking to mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday, Praveen Kumar said the government was using police restrictions selectively against the Opposition. He said BRS had always conducted protests with police permission and urged the DGP and other police officials not to act on illegal orders from the government. He recalled that the police gave permission for a recent BRS meeting at Saroornagar only after the party approached the High Court.

The BRS leader stated that an undeclared curfew had been in force in Telangana for nearly 33 months during the Congress rule. He challenged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to explain whether similar restrictions were imposed on programmes organised by the ruling Congress.

He criticised the Chief Minister over the frequent house arrests of BRS leaders, including Harish Rao, and alleged that Opposition leaders were being monitored even when attending personal functions.

Praveen Kumar alleged that the government was diverting police force towards cases against BRS leaders, including the phone-tapping case, instead of focusing on law and order. “As a result, Telangana has been witnessing a surge in crimes,” he said. He accused the police of acting under political pressure and warned of stringent action after the BRS returns to power, if such actions continued.