Bandi stirs Jangaon cauldron; Warangal police order inquiry

JANGAON: Warangal Police Commissioner P Pramod Kumar on Wednesday directed West Zone DCP B Srinivas Reddy to conduct an inquiry into the lathicharge on BJP activists by Inspector D Mallesh Yadav. Pramod Kumar instructed the DCP to take action against Mallesh Yadav and other police personnel if they are indeed at fault. 

The order came even as BJP state president Bandi Sanjay visited Jangaon and asked Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to take action against police officials responsible for Tuesday’s lathicharge.

Sanjay, who was accorded a warm welcome by BJP and BJYM activists, led a protest rally against the police action from the main centre of the town to the Jangaon District government Hospital on Wednesday. Tension prevailed in the town with police deploying additional forces. 

Hundreds of protesters raised slogans against the DCP and police staff. During the protest rally, a mob tried to break open the gate of the DCP office. However, police forces dispersed the activists who marched on to the hospital. Later, Sanjay met Pawan Sarma, the Jangaon town party president and other activists who were lathicharged, at the hospital.

Speaking to the media, Sanjay attacked KCR saying the CM avoided celebrating the Ambdekar Jayanti and Vivekananda Jayanti and therefore suppressed others doing so. He alleged that the police were supporting TRS leaders while harassing the common man. Therefore, the “friendly police” slogan was a misnomer. 

In order to gain the attention of Ministers, few police officers had been overenthusiastic and attacked BJP workers, said Sanjay. He wondered why the Municipal Commissioner had ordered the removal of BJP’s banners celebrating Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary when TRS banners were left untouched. 

“It is a waste of time trying to talk to a CM who never steps out of his farmhouse,” taunted Sanjay. He demanded that the DGP take action against Inspector Mallesh Yadav and other policemen and suspend them immediately. “If not, we will call for a siege of the DGP’s office, warned Sanjay.