Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party’s Telangana unit president and Karimnagar Lol Sabha MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Tuesday called upon employees and teachers from the state to participate in an “all people’s strike” till the ruling TRS government makes necessary amendments to the controversial GO 317.
Sanjay Kumar called for a massive agitation, “Sakala Janula Samme”, against the government order that has been “forced upon” people. Teachers allege that the system has discrepancies, where allocation and transfers are not based on seniority and nativity, to the allocated location, rather based on favoritism towards those who have contacts with higher officials, he claimed.
Sanjay Kumar made this announcement at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, alongside other senior BJP leaders as they gathered to welcome the Union home minister Amit Shah, on Tuesday evening.
Speaking to reporters on this occasion, Sanjay Kumar recalled that the employees and teachers had to fight for the Telangana state to get the local area status, which they were deprived of during the combined Andhra Pradesh regime.
“They thought their problem would be solved after achieving separate Telangana. But it is unfortunate that even in the Telangana state, they are still forced to fight for the same local area status,” said Sanjay Kumar.
Saluting the teachers and employees who have been agitating for the amendment of the GO 317, Sanjay Kumar said their agitation was totally justified and the BJP would extend complete solidarity with them.
He said that the employees and teachers had played a crucial role in the “Sakala Janula Samme” and have taken the movement from villages to the towns, educating every parent and every student, explaining the injustice done to Telangana.
“But after achieving Telangana, they continued to face severe hardships. The draconian GO 317 brought out by this cruel chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao without properly applying his mind has put a question mark on the nativity of the teachers and employees and disturbed their peaceful life. They are forced to become non-locals in their own area of working,” the BJP state president said.
He alleged that chief minister KCR “who ascended the throne with a promise to keep the employees happy” is now acting with vengeance against them.
“He ruined the lives of thousands of employees with this GO and subjected lakhs of people to mental trauma. When I proposed to take up dharna in a peaceful manner in Karimnagar, KCR got my office vandalised using the police forces. They broke open by my office using gas cutters and attacked me physically. The police resorted to lathi-charge on the BJP workers, including women,” Bandi Sanjay Kumar added.
The Telangana state president attempted to hold a silent protest at his state office in Karimnagar, over a month ago but was detained alongside other BJP leaders for neglecting COVID-19 protocol that had prohibited all large gatherings, amidst rising COVID-19 cases.
Kumar had to be forced out of his office as he denied cooperating with the police and failed to follow protocol.
Sanjay Kumar alleged that he was assaulted and that false cases were “foisted” against him after which he was sent him to jail. “Yet, I was not scared. I went to jail and so did hundreds of the BJP workers. Many others sustained injuries. But we did not beat a retreat. At many places, we conducted meetings demanding that the controversial GO 317 be amended,” he said.
He called upon the employees and teachers not to succumb to any pressures from KCR. He stated that he would stand by them all through their fight till they achieve success.