HYDERABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Chalo Assembly, demanding that the TRS government celebrate September 17 as Telangana Liberation Day, was foiled by the police on Friday. Hundreds of BJP workers from various parts of the State flocked near the Assembly but were shifted by the police to Goshamahal Stadium. The BJP has alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is appeasing the MIM by not celebrating the Liberation Day.
Police detained 783 BJP party workers, who reached the Assembly Gate 1 and 2, under Section 151 of the CrPC. Several other BJP cadre were detained across the State. Some leaders were taken into custody as soon as they came out of their residences.
In Hyderabad, a few protesters suffered minor injuries in the milieu. BJP president Bandi Sanjay alleged that the police attacked protesters by punching them. “The police high-handedness is highly deplorable,” he said.
Claiming that the protest was a “success”, Bandi said, “It is a victory of our karyakarta who reached the Assembly gate despite heavy police deployment. The arrests make it evident that KCR despite promising to celebrate the Telangana Liberation Day is actually on the Nizam’s side.”
The BJP president said that the TRS government’s only aim was “to loot money and invest it in the next elections”. “If the Liberation Day is not officially celebrated by the KCR government, we will come to power in the next elections and celebrate it officially,” he said.
Most roads leading to Assembly chock-a-block
The BJP’s Chalo Assembly protest on Friday caused traffic jams on most roads leading to the Assembly. For instance, unending snarls were reported at Basheerbagh after all stretches near the Assembly were closed and traffic was diverted. Meanwhile, police arrested several party leaders, who were planning to travel to Hyderabad to take part in the protest, in Karimnagar and Rajanna-Sircilla districts