Congress party’s campaign cars at Gandhi Bhavan, Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) leaders have petitioned the Chief Electoral Officer, Telangana Vikas Raj against the alleged police swoop on Gandhi Bhavan last week and towing away its campaign vehicle.
In a letter to the CEO, TPCC Vice-President Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said on November 4 that police entered the party office, which is a private premises, and confiscated three Ambassador Cars which were used for an innovative ‘Car campaign’ to highlight the failed promises of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Government.
He said the vehicles were parked in the private premises and it was surprising that the act was executed without presenting any legal warrant and the police officers failed to provide any justification or clarification for their behaviour. “Such an action raises concerns about the protection of private property rights and the exercise of police authority,” the complaint said.
The Congress party firmly believes in upholding the rule of law and respecting the rights of citizens, even within the realm of political expression and dissent, the letter mentioned. “We seek your urgent intervention in this matter to provide us with the necessary clarification and, if warranted, take action against those responsible for this incident,” Mr. Reddy said.
The TPCC also demanded a formal written clarification explaining the legal basis for the confiscation of the vehicles. If the confiscation is found to be unjust or without legal grounds, the Congress requested immediate return of the property.
The party also demanded an investigation into the actions of the police officers involved in this incident to determine if any misconduct or abuse of power had occurred and hoped that an appropriate action would be taken accordingly.
