GUNTUR: When the Telangana and Samaikhyandra movements were at peak in 2013-14, there was a clear divide among the government employees. Even policemen who were deputed to control the crowds driven by sentiments, could not control themselves in Telangana as well as Coastal Andhra. The result - a police constable who raised ‘Jai Telangana’ slogan during the Samaikhyandhra meeting in Hyderabad, was rewarded with promotion. But his counterparts from Guntur in Coastal Andhra Pradesh who opposed presence of Telangana invigilators during an exam, are now served with punishment.
The Andhra Pradesh police department has initiated action against 16 policemen who expressed their dissent against presence of Telangana invigilators during a departmental examination at Vizianagaram. As per the orders issued on September 16 (a copy is available with TNIE), the police authorities have upheld the orders for suspension of 19 days from March 21 to April 10 in 2014 immediately after the incident and after conducting a departmental inquiry, they have postponed the annual increments for three years.
A few months away from the state bifurcation, a three-month-long training programme was conducted to a group of Armed Reserve (AR) constables to shift them to civil constable posts at the police training college in Vizianagaram. During the final examination, these constables raised objections to the presence of invigilators from Telangana and gathered in front of the principal’s quarters and raised slogans of ‘Down Down Telangana’ and ‘Telangana invigilators go back’.
Though the issue was sorted out temporarily, a complaint was lodged against the constables for their rude behaviour at the police training college. Following a preliminary probe, the authorities identified 16 constables and suspended them for 19 days period. In the latest orders, they have postponed the annual increments for three years.
It may be recalled that a constable named Srinivas raised ‘Jai Telangana’ slogans during a public meeting by pro-Samaikhyandhra leaders at LB Stadium in Hyderabad in 2013. Though he was reprimanded by the authorities at that juncture, he was rewarded with a promotion after the Telangana state formation.