HYDERABAD: Scores of activists from Virasam, people’s organisations, and political outfits condemned the arrest of Varavara Rao and harassing his kin and journalist Tekula Kranti under the guise of searches from Tuesday morning till afternoon. Speaking at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, they demanded immediate release of Varavara Rao, and also alleged that the arrest and the searches were an indication of the autocratic policies of the Union and the state governments.
Kranti said the men in plain clothes barged into his house and after seeing them, his mother, who is a heart patient, fainted. The men initially took her out on the pretext of shifting her to hospital, but they brought her back and made her to sit in the varandah. “They showed an FIR and said that they had clues against me, but did not give me any proof of that. They took passwords of my both email ids. I am worried as they can do anything accessing my email accounts.” said Kranti.
CPI leader Chada Venkat Reddy said the arrests showed how the governments want to suppress public voices. “This can never be accepted and the government will definitely pay for their foolish acts. Such acts will never hamper the fighting spirit of people’s organisations.” he said. Indian Journalists Union secretary general D Amar too condemned the arrest and searches.In Warangal too , civil society organisations staged a protest at Kaloji Circle and demanded the government to immediately release the revolutionary poet.