Dharna Chowk gives parties a common goal

For the first time in the three years of TRS rule, almost all Opposition parties, under the banner of Dharna Chowk Protection Committee, will come together on Monday to participate in the “Chalo Indira Park” rally.

The showdown between the Opposition and the ruling parties will see the former trying to lay siege to the park and hold a public meeting there at 11 am.

In the backdrop of the Hyderabad police making preparations for a major crackdown and possible preventive arrests, several TJAC activists, who will lead the protest, went underground on Sunday and were not reachable.

Congress, TD, BJP, CPI, CPM and other Leftist parties, people’s organisations and human rights activists have decided to participate in the protest rally demanding revival of the Dharna Chowk that has been closed for the last two months.

The police has stopped giving permissions to individuals, organisations and political parties to hold any kind of protest or fast on the Indira Park road.

This is a first-of-itskind situation, where the entire Opposition has come under one umbrella to protest against the government decision not to allow any protest activity at the Dharna Chowk at Indira Park.

Meanwhile, members of the Dharna Chowk Protection Committee on Sunday appealed to the people of Telangana to join them and lay siege to the Indira Park on Monday. “Help us teach a lesson to the state government that has been suppressing democratic dissent in the state for the last few years,” the committee members said.

The committee members held a meeting at Maqdoom Bhavan in Himayatnagar on Sunday where various strategies to reach Indira Park were discussed. Prof. Haragopal, who participated in the meeting, said that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao should know that the massive agitation for a separate Telangana state started from Indira Park. He reminded that even the TRS had several times staged protests during the statehood movement from the area.

Prof. Haragopal said that the people will not tolerate suppression of human rights and dissent without valid reason.