The TRS government in the new State of Telangana seems to be toeing the same policy as adopted by the previous governments in regard to dealing with political activities of communist revolutionary organizations. The gunning down of two Maoists under the facade of `encounter’ is a testimony to the repressive approach that the government is adopting to contain a political movement, extra-judicial or fake encounter killings being a violent mode of state repression. It appears to be following a line of stifling any democratic protest against such killings as is clear from the way in which it tried to suppress the Chalo Assembly programme organized under the auspices of Telangana Democratic Forum.

 In the first place it is highly reprehensible that the police refused to give permission to the protest rally against the killing of Shruti and Vidyasagar in a fake encounter under the false plea that some anti-social elements were going to create trouble. The police in a big way began to arrest leaders of the TDF a day before and prevented people coming to Hyderabad from the districts.

 This morning the police arrested leaders of nine political parties, that included V. Venkataramaiah of CPI(ML) New Democracy, Veerabhadram (CPM), Chada Venkat Reddy (CPI), when they tried to take out a rally from the Sundaraiah Park. The police arrested Varavara Rao at the RTC X Roads along with other Virasam members. In all the districts of Telangana several activists have been arrested by the police. The incidents of police raids on the hostels in the OU and arrests of students bring back memories of the happenings during the movement for separate statehood.

The National Committee of IFTU strongly condemns these arrests and demands their immediate release. It strongly deplores the repressive attitude of the TRS govt. in not allowing normal democratic protest.

(Issued by Com. Pradeep, General Secretary, IFTU on September 30, 2015)