Police warn techies amid protests in Cyberabad to support Naidu
Senior officers said no police permission was given for any of these protest rallies by software professionals in association with the TDP leaders
Hyderabad: The Cyberabad police on Friday warned software professionals in Hyderabad against taking up any rallies in coordination with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to express solidarity with party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu who was arrested in connection with the multi-crore skill development corporation scam last week.
Naidu is presently lodged in Rajahmundry central jail in East Godavari district on two-week judicial remand after he was denied bail in the case by an Anti-Corruption Bureau special court on Sunday.
The TDP has been holding protest rallies across Andhra Pradesh since Naidu was sent to the jail on judicial remand on Monday. In Hyderabad, too, the party leaders organised a couple of protest rallies of software professionals for the last two days at Nanakramguda and Madhapur, which have been popular information technology hubs.
A huge protest was organised at Wipro Circle on Wednesday with participants carrying placards reading “I am with CBN.” The TDP chief is credited with the formation of Cyberabad by establishing several IT companies during his regime as the chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh between 1995 and 2004.
However, on Thursday, the Cyberabad police foiled the protest at Cyber Tower in Madhapur. Several youngsters, who were gathering for lunch-hour protest, were taken into custody and let off later after warning.
On Friday, too, the TDP leaders, along with the techies of various IT firms in Hyderabad, planned a protest programme at Marrichettu junction at Manikonda from 6 pm to 7 pm.
On Saturday, too, the TDP leaders are planning a protest car rally along with IT employees from Nanakramguda tollgate entry, go on the ORR at 60 kmph speed and return again to Nanakramguda toll between 1 pm and 5 pm.
Later in the evening at around 6 pm, the TDP leaders proposed to hold a protest demonstration at IIIT junction at Gachibowli.
In a statement, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Madhapur zone of Cyberabad, Gone Sundeep Rao said no police permission was given for any of these protest rallies by software professionals in association with the TDP leaders.
“If there are any violations, and if any one circulates the above message on social media platforms, stern legal action will be taken on participants and those circulating it,” he warned.
The Cyberabad police took the agitations by the IT employees seriously, as they felt it would spoil the brand image of Hyderabad. “We do not allow any political protests in the software hubs, as a matter of policy,” a senior police official said.
Senior TDP leader and former minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy said it was unfortunate that the Telangana government was curtailing the fundamental rights of the IT employees to register their protest against the alleged illegal arrest of Naidu in the skill development corporation scam.
“It is not correct on the part of the Telangana police to threaten the IT professionals,” Reddy said.
