Telangana: TRS chief K Chandrasekar Rao, employees union leaders Swamy Gowd and Vittal booked for provocative speeches

HYDERABAD: Police filed cases against Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekar Rao, employees union leaders Swamy Gowd and Vittal for making instigating speeches and creating rift between people from different regions in the state.

The cases were filed under IPC 153A section and Police Forces Rights Protection Act. The cases filed against the three leaders are non-bailable and warranted immediate arrest.

Police in its FIR against KC Rao stated that he had tried to instigate people to attack peoples' representatives (houses of MPs and ministers) while speaking at a meeting convened by the Telangana electricity employees union at Mint Compound. Rao had called for physical attacks on Congress MPs and MLAs for not resigning from their posts, the FIR said. The TRS chief has been booked under section 153 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal Code, police sources said.

Vittal and Gowd were charged with instigating policemen to revolt.

Police took suo motu action against the Telangana leaders two weeks after they made the statements.

The cases were booked a day after chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said the government would adopt a "zero tolerance policy" towards those disturbing law and order.

A police officer had also warned on Monday that those instigating violence would be booked along with those resorting to it.