Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeHyderabadCongress Stages Dharna at CBI office In Hyderabad

Congress Stages Dharna at CBI office In Hyderabad

Hyderabad : Led by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President  N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, thousands of Congress workers staged a dharna at the CBI office in Kendriya Sadan, Koti here on Friday as part of Congress party’s nationwide protest against the decision of BJP Government at the Centre removing Alok Varma as CBI chief.

 Speaking to media persons, Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that Prime Minister Narender Modi at the Centre and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao in Telangana have destroyed all the democratic institutions in the country and State. He said both Modi and KCR have no respect for the Constitution, democracy or the democratic institutions in the country. He alleged that Modi and KCR have set many wrong precedents showing utter disrespect to the Constitution. Stating that sending Alok Varma on forced leave was ‘illegal’ and ‘unconstitutional’, he alleged that it was done by Modi Government to hush up the Rafale deal.

 Uttam said that all the democratic institutions lost their prominence ever since Modi-KCR came to power. “While Modi dismantled all democratic institutions at the Centre, KCR crushed legislature, executive and media and made highly objectionable remarks against the judiciary. In violation of Anti-Defection Law, KCR made 25 legislators of opposition parties join TRS. The Speaker did not held a single hearing in four years on disqualification petitions filed by opposition parties. Further, two Congress MLAs were expelled on false allegations just by passing a resolution in the House. The CM and Speaker did not respond to the High Court orders which reversed the decision on expulsion of MLAs. Just like Anti-Defection Law, KCR Govt did not implement Land Acquisition Act, Right to Information Act or even Right to Education Act. KCR apparently hates the Constitution and therefore, tried to smother all forms of democracy in Telangana,” he said.

 The TPCC Chief said that the Executive was not allowed to work freely in Telangana. A new culture was promoted wherein some sycophant officials were promoted and given prominent positions while other honest officers were neglected. There is not a single institution in Telangana which is now free from the influence of TRS or BJP. He said that Modi-KCR did not even spare Election Commission by forcing the officials to overlook violation of Model Code of Conduct by ruling party leaders. Congress party is still fighting to remove lakhs of bogus name and include genuine voters in the electoral rolls. BJP-TRS are trying hard to win next polls by conducting huge irregularities, he said.

 Uttam also alleged that press lost its freedom under TRS rule. The media organisations were either lured with some sops or threatened with action to force them to do biased reporting in favour of TRS and tarnish the image of opposition parties. “KCR even made objectionable remarks against courts. People, who fail to get justice, have a right to approach courts. But, through his remarks, KCR highlighted such people as those who are anti-development and as if courts are obstructing the development works. Such a trend never prevailed in the past,” he said.

 The TPCC chief said that the Centre should accept Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s demand for reinstatement of CBI Director Alok Verma and an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 He said continuance of Modi and KCR in power pose a threat to the very survival of all democratic institutions in the country. For the same reason, Congress party has given a call for ‘Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao’ and ‘KCR Hatao, Telangana Bachao’, he said.

            Leaders of different other parties including Telangana TDP President L. Ramana and CPI State Secretary Chada Venkat Reddy also joined the protest as a mark of solidarity. AICC Telangana Incharge R.C. Khuntia, AICC Secretaries N.S. Bose Raju, Saleem Ahmed, Srinivasan Krishnan, V. Hanumantha Rao, Madhu Yashki Goud, TPCC leaders Ponnam Prabhakar, Gudur Narayana Reddy, Kodanda Reddy, Anjan Kumar Yadav, Nerella Sharada, Anil Kumar Yadav, Shaik Abdullah Sohail and other senior leaders also participated in the dharna. They raised slogans of ‘chowkidar chor hai’ (watchman is a thief) against PM Modi.

            All the protestors including Uttam Kumar Reddy, R.C. Khuntia, L Ramana, Chada Venkat Reddy and other Congress leaders and workers were arrested by the police and shifted to various police stations in the city.  (NSS)