GHMC poll violence: Attacks unite Opposition

Hyderabad: The entire Opposition on Wednesday in one voice demanded the arrest and booking of attempt-to-murder cases under Section 307 of the IPC, of Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi for the attacks on leaders of various parties on Tuesday.

The attacks united the Opposition leaders like very few other issues ever could. They met Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and demanded that he invoke his powers under Section 8 of AP Reorganisation Act to monitor the Law and Order situation in the TS capital as TRS government has “failed” in its duties.

Aggrieved by the series of violent attacks on Congress and BJP leaders, Leader of the Opposition in Assembly K. Jana Reddy on Wednesday convened a meeting at the CLP office in the Assembly.

The meeting was attended by TD and BJP leaders, who decided to meet the Governor and State Election Commissioner V. Nagireddy in the first instance and later the President and PM.

The leaders said an attempt-to-murder case must be booked against Mr Owaisi, who according to them, instigated the attacks on Congress leaders N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Shabbir Ali, MLA T. Rammohan Reddy and BJP contestant Mahender from Jangammet by Akabaruddin Owaisi.

The demand to invoke the controversial Sec. 8 of the AP Reorganisation Act which empowers the Governor to monitor the Law and Order situation in the Capital was not part of the written memorandum they submitted but oral.

After a similar demand was made by the AP government last year and was objected to by the TS Chief Minister, the Centre announced it will not press for its implementation.

BJP MLC N. Ramachandra Rao and Congress MLC P. Sudhakar Reddy, who briefed newsmen at the Raj Bhavan, confirmed that the delegation demanded invoking Sec. 8. The delegation comprised of Congress, TD and BJP leaders.

‘Ally’ puts CM in a bind
The violent incidents that rocked the Old City on Tuesday have put Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in a bind, forcing him to maintain a stoic silence since the accused party is the MIM, an ally of the TRS.

Mr Rao’s silence was all the more profound, since even the residence of his Deputy, Md. Mahmood Ali was attacked, not to mention Opposition leaders Uttam Kumar Reddy, Md. Ali Shabbir and other Congress, TRS and BJP leaders and workers.

Though panchayat raj minister K.T. Rama Rao described the incidents as “quite unfortunate” and said that police would take necessary action, other TRS leaders are reluctant to speak on the issue saying the law will take its own course.

Though exit polls gave a big win to the TRS in the first GHMC polls after formation of the state, TRS is not taking chances and also doesn’t want to rub the MIM the wrong way, lest it requires its support—if it doesn’t get enough votes to bag the mayor’s chair.

There is no chance of TRS seeking Congress support, forget about the BJP-TD combine if there is a shortfall in the magic figure of 108 (both  elected corporators and ex-officio members).

Interestingly, several ministers including Nayani Narasimha Reddy and K.T. Rama Rao, and TRS secretary general K. Kesava Rao and others called on Mr Mahmood Ali after the attacks to express their solidarity.

The CM, who has gone to his farmhouse, is expected to be back on February 5, the day the votes would be counted, and break his silence.