Virasam slams arrests of activists

HYDERABAD: Members of Virasam and other social activists condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for “using” the Pune Police to raid human rights activists across the country. They also attacked the arrest of poet P Varavara Rao and others. At a round table meeting held on Monday, they claimed that the situation created by the BJP government was “worse than the Emergency”. 

Professor M Haragopal, who condemned the arrest of revolutionary writer Varavara Rao, said that in a democratic country people have the right to express their views. He claimed the BJP had failed to fulfil its promise of providing jobs to youngster after coming to power and was resorting to such steps instead. 

KV Kurmanath, whose house was also searched, said the Pune Police did not produce warrants for searches and arrest of his maternal uncle Varavara Rao. He also alleged that the purported letters calling for the assassination of the Prime Minister “were a creation” of the Pune Police. 

“When Pune Police questioned me about a particular book in my house, I explained to them that it was about Telangana martyrs. However, our local cops told them it’s Maoist literature,” claimed Kurmanath, also alleging that both the TRS and BJP governments were losing popularity and were taking such steps keeping the upcoming elections in mind.