Tension as Bandi Stages Sit-In During ‘Chalo Secretariat’ Rally by Group-1 Aspirants

Hyderabad:Amid high drama, Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who joined hundreds of Group I aspirants in their ‘chalo Secretariat’ rally from Ashok Nagar to Secretariat, was shifted into a vehicle from the spot and taken to the state BJP office at Nampally here on Saturday.

Earlier, tension prevailed at Ashok Nagar when Sanjay Kumar arrived at the starting point in the afternoon to meet Group-1 aspirants, who were demanding cancellation of GO no. 29 as it was ‘detrimental’ to candidates from reserved categories and rescheduling group 1 mains.

Meanwhile, hundreds of yuva and mahila morcha activists and unemployed youth also joined. The police made a vain bid to cordon off the area.

A tense situation also prevailed near the Ambedkar statue at Tank Bund. The Union minister who was being taken in a police vehicle alighted at the Telugu Talli flyover and staged a sit-in protest. Party legislator from Adilabad Payal Shankar also joined him. This led to severe traffic jams on either side of the road.

Special police forces from central zone and city armed forces resorted to lathi charge after a scuffle. They dispersed the gathering and prevented them from moving towards the Secretariat. Around 40 protesters were taken into preventive custody, said Akshansh Yadav, DCP (central zone).

Adding to the unrest, BRS leaders R.S. Praveen Kumar and Dasoju Sravan and their supporters tried to enter the rally. BRS and BJP leaders started raising slogans against one another. However, the BRS leaders relented and shifted their rally towards Lower Tank Bund.

Later, talking to newsmen, Sanjay Kumar asserted that he would visit Ashoknagar again if the state government fails to reschedule the Group I exam, cancel GO 29 and initiate disciplinary action against police officials involved in the brutal lathi charge of the students, who were protesting peacefully.