WARANGAL: Taking strong objection to the arrest of seven-member fact finding team of Telangana Democratic Forum, on their way to Chhattisgarh to collect information about an encounter in which a top Maoist leader Sayanna alias Jagat was killed recently, various civil society bodies in the State demanded the immediate release of the team. The members were arrested at Dummugudem in Khammam district on Sunday morning and handed over to Konta police of Chhattisgarh.
Criticising the police action, revolutionary writer and Virasam founder Varavara Rao said the TRS government is trying to curtail the democratic rights of people and terrorise them. “They were just trying to visit the place where a fake encounter took place. In what way they were creating law and order problem? Why were they arrested and then handed over to Chhattisgarh police? This itself shows that the government is trying to silence the voices of people,” he said.
Accusing Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of behaving like a fascist, Varavara Rao said the CM is also adopting the policies of his predecessors and curbing the basic rights of the citizens.
“KCR is going a step ahead of his predecessors, N Chandrababu Naidu, YS Rajasekhara Reddy and others and attacking intellectuals who are trying to raise the issues of people,” he said.
He said he informed home minister N Narshimha Reddy about the arrest of the team. “I spoke to him about the incident and he told me that he was not aware of it. And now when I am trying to contact him he is not even lifting the phone,” he claimed.
Criticising the TRS government for not permitting to hold a meeting to pay homage to former Telangana Praja Front president Akula Bhoomaiah, Varavara Rao said Bhoomaiah was one of the tallest leaders of Telangana movement and the government not allowing a meeting in his memory is very unfortunate. “He has been associated with the Telangana movement since 1969 and the TRS government which came to power through struggle and support of Telangana people is not allowing to hold a meeting in the memory of its greatest leader. What message the government is trying to give to the people,” he asked.
Coming down heavily on the government, Telangana Praja Front president Nalamasa Krishna said the government not allowing the memorial meeting of Bhoomaiah at Peddapalli is nothing but curbing the rights of the people. “We had held about 54 memorial meetings after the death of Bhoomaiah in 2013. Why KCR is showing so much of disrespect to a great leader like Bhoomaiah,” he asked.