On June 19, at the Telangana headquarters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Payal Shankar, MLA from Adilabad in the Telangana Vidhan Sabha, addressed the media to voice his discontentment over what he described as biased actions by the Telangana Police. Shankar accused the police of filing false cases against members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of BJP, while allegedly neglecting to pursue cases against those involved in attacking Hindu youths and activists in Medak.
Speaking during the press interaction, Shankar criticised the police for their handling of recent incidents involving BJYM workers. He emphasised, “It is not right for the police to file illegal cases against BJYM workers and terrorise them, while turning a blind eye to the group that attacked Hindu youths and Goraksha activists who were preventing the smuggling of cows in Medak.” Shankar called for a swift judicial inquiry into these incidents, highlighting what he perceives as a pattern of unfair treatment by the authorities.
The MLA’s remarks underscored broader concerns within the BJP about alleged discriminatory practices under the current state administration. Shankar warned that if the government does not change its approach, it risks facing the same public backlash that the previous administration, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), encountered. He made it clear that the BJP would not remain silent in the face of what he termed as unjust actions against its members.
The recent clash that prompted Shankar’s statements reportedly involved BJYM workers intervening to stop the alleged transportation of cows for slaughter.
According to sources close to the Organiser, tensions escalated when individuals from certain groups attacked BJYM workers with knives. This led to injuries on both sides and subsequent protests in the area. Medak Superintendent of Police, B Bala Swamy, confirmed these events, adding that the hospital where the injured were being treated also came under attack during the turmoil.
In response to the escalating tensions, the Telangana Police imposed Section 144 in the vicinity of Ramdas Chowrasta in the Medak district. This move was aimed at maintaining law and order following the violent altercation and subsequent protests.
The backdrop to these incidents includes longstanding legal and cultural sensitivities around cow protection in India. The Supreme Court of India, in a landmark judgment on October 26, 2005, upheld the constitutional validity of laws prohibiting cow slaughter enacted by several state governments across the country. Currently, 20 out of 28 states in India have implemented laws regulating or prohibiting the slaughter and sale of cows.
Shankar’s statements reflect ongoing tensions and concerns over law enforcement practices and the handling of communal sensitivities in Telangana, particularly regarding issues related to cow protection and alleged bias in police actions.
As the situation continues to develop, stakeholders from all sides are closely monitoring the responses and actions of both the government and law enforcement agencies in Telangana.
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