Hyderabad, February 20: ‘‘Show no mercy on anyone who indulges in arson and violence during Saturday’s Chalo Assembly programme,’’ Hyderabad Police Commissioner AK Khan reportedly told his officers and a battery of police officials drafted from other units of the State Police.
An unprecedented deployment of police and paramilitary forces, perhaps unheard of in recent times, is underway to ensure a peaceful Saturday.
Khan held a three hour long meeting with the police officials at his office on Friday afternoon.
Sources told Express that Khan, quoting intelligence inputs, told the officials that about 2,000 people, including students, might gather in and around the Osmania University campus and an equal number or slightly more would arrive in the city from the districts. ‘‘Going by the inputs available, the number of students and other pro-Telangana activists could be around 6,000 while there might be some who will join them randomly,’’ the Commissioner reportedly said.
All the routes to the Assembly have already been sealed.
According to sources, Khan, referring to the intelligence inputs, said the students would indulge in arson. “Some inputs also indicate that a few students may try to immolate e themselves due to which emotions would run high,” he is said to have observed.
Sources said, “we have been asked to show no restraint whatsoever if agitators indulge in stone-pelting or any other form of violence.
Though there was no discussion about how each one should tackle the situation, in case violence breaks out, we have been told to use lathis and fire rubber bullets and teargas shells.
Rest (read firing) depends on the situation.’’ About 40 officers including about 7 IGPs and 25 DIG and SP rank officers were roped in for bandobust.
–Agencies