Telangana HC gives permission to Bandi Sanjay's Praja Sangrama Yatra

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Monday gave permission to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Telangana President Bandi Sanjay Kumar to go ahead with his Praja Sangrama Yatra. However, the High Court laid down a host of conditions for the BJP leader's yatra.

According to reports, the High Court gave the interim ruling on a petition filed by the BJP against the denial of permission by the Telangana Police for Sanjay's yatra on Sunday night. The BJP Telangana chief is scheduled to kickstart the fifth phase of the Maha Sangrama Yatra near Bhainsa in Nirmal district after addressing a public meeting there on Monday evening.

The BJP approached the Telangana High Court after the state police detained Bandi Sanjay on Sunday night when the latter was on his way to the Nirmal district. Citing law and order concerns, the police denied permission to Sanjay to take off on his yatra from Bhainsa. The Karimnagar MP was reportedly confined to his house since Sunday night as a precautionary measure.

The Telangana High Court, while permitting the yatra, listed out several conditions for both the organisers of the event and the police. It clearly stated that the Praja Sangrama Yatra should not pass through Bhainsa town and the public meeting should be organised three km away from the town. The yatra should proceed through Nirmal, it said while asking the police to ensure law and order. The High Court also restricted the yatra participation to only 500 people while allowing the public meeting with only 3,000 participants. In yet another key direction, it asked the leaders and activists to strictly refrain from indulging in provocative speeches and slogans against other religions.

The Telangana High Court, during the hearing on the BJP petition, reportedly asked the counsel for the Telangana police, if Sanjay's yatra was permitted to go through Bhainsa town. To this, the counsel for the police reportedly replied in the negative, prompting the High Court to wonder as to what would be the objection then from the police for the yatra when it would not be taken up through the town.

Full details of the arguments in the High Court on the BJP petition are awaited.