WARANGAL: Tension prevailed near Amarverulu stupam when Telangana Praja Front (TPF) members and police clashed over paying homage to Telangana martyrs as part of completion of 20 years of the “Waranal Declaration” that defined the Telangana movement. Police stopped TPF members saying that the members could not go ahead without taking permission from police.
A heated argument broke out between the members and police officials and soon they started pushing each other. In the meantime, the women squatted on the ground and started demanding that the police should allow them to pay homage. This continued for over 40 minutes and when the police failed to convince them to vacate the venue, they forcefully disbursed the crowd and arrested their leaders including revolutionary poet and Viplava Rachayitala Sangham(Virasam) founder member P Vara Vara Rao and TPF state secretary K Kumarswamy. They were taken to Kakatiya University police station and were released after three hours.
Later, speaking to reporters, Varavara Rao took strong objection to police not allowing them to pay homage to martyrs. He said the government was even not allowing to commemorate 20 years of Warangal Declaration which was used by TRS chief and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to fight for the cause of Telangana. “Your government had made Warangal Declaration a part of school syllabus and when we want to hold meeting to commemorate it, you deny permission. You arrest us. What kind of government are you running?” he asked.
Criticizing the police for not allowing people to pay homage to Telangana martyrs and creating hurdle in holding meetings, civil rights activist Hargopal said that in a democracy, citizens have the right to hold meetings and express their views.
“Why should one take permission for holding meetings? It’s high time that the chief minister changed his attitude or people will teach him a fitting lesson,” he said.