Central government and the State police were the target of the Telangana Congress at its massive dharna held at Indira Park against the ‘snooping’ on phones of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, opposition leaders and journalists in the country using the Pegasus spyware.
While the leaders demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, they also warned the Telangana police not to blindly follow the orders of the State government in ‘crushing’ their democratic protests.
After the dharna, their attempts to march to Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum to the Governor were foiled by the police who arrested all the senior leaders including TPCC working presidents T. Jayaprakash Reddy, Anjan Kumar Yadav, Geeta Reddy, Mahesh Goud; CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka; MLA Seethakka; former PCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah and senior leaders Damodar Rajnarsimha, Maheswar Reddy Rammohan Reddy among others.
Addressing the dharna Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy accused the Centre of hacking the phones of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. He also accused the police of disrupting their peaceful protests to satisfy the egos of some leaders in the State. “Patience is running out and we will not tolerate it more,” he said blaming the police for not letting them to go to Raj Bhavan.
Mr. Vikramarka said the Modi government is using Pegasus software to tap the phones of leaders like Rahul Gandhi and the opposition and that it reflects their insecurity. Congress fought against the British for freedom but this government trampled upon freedom and liberty in the country. This dangerous trend should be nipped in the bud or else country’s future would be in danger, he said.
Mr. Ponnala Lakshmaiah warned Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao that his efforts to make Telangana a police state will not be tolerated by people. “Courts have admonished him so many times but Mr. Rao is not changing his attitude in ensuring democratic protests,” he said. “How is the police permitting rallies of the ruling party,” he asked.
Seethakka said phone tapping is an infringement on the rights of people guaranteed by the Constitution and Modi and Shah duo had become a danger to the country. It is unfortunate that they pray to Lord Ram but their actions are against what he had preached. They are openly caught with the media divulging their secret operation, she said.
Former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav presided over the meeting.
Meanwhile, NSUI State president Venkat Balmoor, who took part in ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan’ was critically injured when the Congress leaders and the police clashed while the former were attempting to march towards Raj Bhavan.
Congress leaders said he was rushed to Yashoda Hospital where the diagnosis revealed that he suffered a rib fracture when he fell down during the clash with the police. The NSUI and Congress cadre blamed the police for the injury and accused the police of deliberately pushing down the leaders to cause injuries.