Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the Police department to present video records of BJP State president Bandi Sanjay to substantiate its claim that he made inciting speeches compelling them to stall his Praja Sangrama Yatra.
Justice Lalitha Kanneganti, who passed this interim order after hearing the writ petition filed by BJP Telangana unit, posted the matter for today (Thursday). BJP’s State unit represented by general secretary Bangaru Shruti filed the plea by way of lunch motion seeking permission for continuation of Praja Sangrama Yatra.
The petition was heard during the post-lunch session with senior lawyer N. Ramachander Rao seeking to declare halting of Mr. Sanjay’s ‘yatra’ illegal. Government Pleader for Home Srikanth Reddy opposed continuation of the yatra stating that it could trigger law and order problems.
The judge directed the Police department to furnish details of the cases registered against Mr. Sanjay as the GP informed the court that the was facing 15 cases. Presenting his contentions, Mr. Rao said the Police department failed to mention what specific inputs made them believe that continuation of the yatra would trigger problems.
Referring to the notice issued by Wardhannapet Assistant Commissioner of Police of Warangal which said the yatra had no permission, Mr. Rao wondered if the police could explain how Mr. Sanjay conducted the foot march for 1,000 kilometres during its earlier two phases and the present third phase. The lawyer argued the notice was given and the march was stopped due to political reasons.
It was not correct on the part of the police authorities to stall the yatra having allowed it for 20 days by providing police personnel for security, he said. The GP told the bench that no written permission was given for Mr. Sanjay’s yatra. The Warangal police restrained the Karimnagar MP from continuing the march in the wake of possible disturbances.
The arguments would continue today.