Covid-19 rules being used to harass us, says Telangana Congress chief

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday alleged that the police were repeatedly violating the privileges of Congress MPs, MLAs and MLCs and warned that they would take up the issue with presiding officers in Parliament, Council and Assembly.

In an open letter to DGP M. Mahendar Reddy, he said: “As the president of the principal Opposition party of Telangana state, a five-term MLA, former Cabinet minister and present MP, I wish to convey my surprise and dismay at the brazenly partisan and politically biased behaviour of some officers of the Telangana police towards leaders and cadres of Congress in the state.”

He pointed out that all neutral observers have opined that the so-called Covid-19 restrictions were being used to increase the false propaganda of the TRS among the public and to suppress the voice of the Congress.

He cited various instances wherein the Chief Minister and ministers were going around the state and participating in programmes with large congregations with no social distancing and no masks. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that in contrast the police was citing Covid regulations and stopping Congress leaders including himself whenever they wanted to move among the public or take up protests. He listed the incidents wherein Congress leaders were placed under house arrest

He asked how come the programmes of the Chief Minister and ministers do not come under the Central Covid guidelines and applied only to the Congress.

Maintaining that Congress leaders were not organising any large congregations, he said “we are participating in small numbers, with masks and with social distance.”

He said Congress leaders would be visiting pending irrigation projects on the Godavari river, adhering to all Covid-19 restrictions, on June 13 and requested that the police place no impediments in their path.