KCR\'s visit to temple: Devotees and opposition parties protest curbs, arrests

Warangal: The state government, through massive arrests, is stifling the voice of the opposition and social activists, alleged the district president of the Telangana Civil Rights Association. Sripathi Rajgopal of erstwhile Karimnagar district, here on Wednesday.

The reference was mainly to the arrests of opposition party activists during the visit of chief minister Chandrasekhar Rao to the Sri Anjaneya Swamy temple in Kondagattu. Police had arrested Congress, BJP and TJS party leaders as also some social activists from in Jagtial district since Tuesday evening.

Rajagopal alleged that the state government was acting against the Constitution and stifling the voice of those opposing its policies and actions. He demanded the release of all the arrested persons in connection with the CM’s visit.

There was tight security around the temple and devotees who came from near and far faced problems as they were not allowed to enter the temple at Kondagattu in view of the CM’s tour programme.

Even mediapersons with passes were not allowed in the vicinity of the temple and kept waiting at a spot two km away from the temple. The officials arranged a big screen in a hotel to provide live coverage of the CM’s tour.

Devotees who came from far alleged that when the officials first announced KCR’s visit to the temple on Tuesday, permission was denied to others for entry to the shrine. They waited for a day at the Sri Rajanna temple in Vemulawada and came to Kondagattu on Wednesday.

“We came early in the morning, but the police are not allowing us to have darshan even though KCR’s visit was in the morning, at 10 am," they said.