Hyderabad, December 30: In the wake of the bandh call given by the Joint Action Committee of all political parties tomorrow, the State Government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure peace. Sources said that Chief Minister K Rosaiah directed the police officials to `do whatever is required’ to maintain law and order.
Soon after the AP High Court issued orders suggesting the electronic media to maintain restraint during broadcasting the violent incidents and also provocative statements that can fuel regional differences, the orders from the Chief Minister to the police officials are raising doubts. Interestingly, Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy restrained herself from attending the law and order review meeting convened by the Chief Minister today.
Sources in the Home department revealed that the State Government has decided to handle the agitation with iron hand reportedly owing to firm directions from the Central Government and also due to pressure from several industrialists to back off from investments in the State. The Chief Minister asked the officials to take firm action against law breakers but to ensure that persons not connected with the violent incidents are not put to any inconvenience.
Rosaiah discussed with the police officials on the alleged disparities in registration of cases against students in Telangana and the rest of the State during the agitations for separate Telangana and united Andhra Pradesh recently. He said that the cases were registered in all the regions in commensurate with number of violent incidents that were reported but not on the basis of region. He indirectly pointed out that 530 buses were damaged in Telangana region against 84 buses damaged in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.
–Agencies