Telangana govt not against dissent, Hyderabad HC told

Hyderabad: On Tuesday, the Telangana Joint Action Committee withdrew its demand before the Hyderabad High Court for permission to be given for its proposed rally to press for employment for the unemployed.

The judge asked B. Rachana Reddy, counsel for the petitioner, to submit the representation to the police and come back to court by 3.30 pm so that the court can grant appropriate orders.

When the judge resumed hearing at 3.30 pm, H. Venugopal, counsel for the home department, submitted a rejection order passed by the deputy commissioner of police concerned, and informed the court that the High Court in the year 2016 had granted a stay on holding any sort of meetings within the Osmania University campus.

He said that neither the police nor the government was against democratic dissent and the police had refused permission based on inputs received by them apprehending a law and order problem.

When the judge asked Mr Venugopal about permitting the meeting at the Metro Rail ground at Nagole, he replied that the police are prepared to permit the meeting and would extend necessary security arrangements.

On the basis of this, the judge started dictating the order directing the TJAC to hold the public meeting at Metro Rail ground at Nagole. It was at this point that counsel for the TJAC requested the judge to permit her clients to withdraw their petition, stating that the relief that the court was extending was not what the petitioner had sought.