Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday asked police to deal firmly with "anarchic forces", who "out of deep despair and disappointment are conspiring to incite communal tensions and clashes" in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana.
He said that the government has definite information about these "anarchic elements" trying to draw political mileage during Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections through conspiracies.
Maintenance of law-and-order situation in the state is top on the state government's agenda and any attempts to disturb the peace and harmony should be dealt with firmly and the anti-social elements should be crushed with an iron hand, he said.
According to the Chief Minister's Office, he gave the police free hand to deal with the anti-social elements in the state.
KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, held a high-level review meeting on the law and order situation in the state. Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Director General of Police Mahender Reddy, Police Commissioners of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda and other top officials attended the meeting.
"During the GHMC polls, certain leaders are trying to get political mileage through several conspiracies. At first, they have used social media to spread fake news. They tried to divert people with morphed photos. Later they have indulged in provocation through their utterances.
"But yet, peace-loving people in Hyderabad did not fall to their falsehoods. People are not reacting despite the attempts to whip up communal passions. They have realised that their attempts to get votes by throwing money did not work in Hyderabad. With this, they are stooping down to low levels to create communal clashes in Hyderabad and take political mileage of it," the CMO quoted the Chief Minister as saying.
"They want to create communal clashes in Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam and other places and campaign about them in Hyderabad. They want to create some trouble in Hyderabad and paint it communal and they want to ferment trouble at places of worship. With these acts, they want to whip up the communal passions. They want to create such a communal disturbance so that the GHMC polls are not held and postponed. This their actual plan. The state government has definite information about this plan," the CM said.
Stating that his government gave top priority to maintaining law and order and firmly dealt with anti-social elements, he said Hyderabad and Telangana are in peace and harmony.
"Hyderabad is regarded as the safe city worldwide. Investments are coming in a big way to the city and the state. Young people are getting employment. There is 1.60 crore population in the metropolitan city of Hyderabad under the three Commissionerates. It is the main responsibility of the state government to protect the city. It is very important to safeguard the State, more so peace and harmony in Hyderabad. People here should lead a happy and peaceful life," he added.
KCR also urged the people to be alert and cautious against those trying to spread communal hatred and clashes. He wanted people especially the youth to be cautious and should not become prey for those elements, which would try to whip up communal feelings.
He also appealed to the political parties to wage a democratic fight in the polls in a transparent manner.
