Sravan demands ECI action over alleged police harassment of BRS workers
Hyderabad: BRS MLC Dr. Sravan Dasoju on Friday accused local police in Jubilee Hills of harassing BRS workers and volunteers. He demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Telangana’s Director General of Police (DGP) intervene immediately, calling the police behaviour a direct attack on democracy and a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
BRS alleges intimidation by police
Dr. Sravan said police officers across several areas of Jubilee Hills were intimidating small groups of BRS campaigners. According to him, police were wrongly insisting that prior permission was required even for door-to-door campaigns involving 10 to 15 people. “Police should protect democracy, not crush it under political pressure,” he said. He alleged that the intimidation reflected the “partisan misuse of police machinery” by the ruling Congress government.
Violation of election rules and political neutrality
The BRS leader argued that these actions violated the ECI’s Manual on Model Code of Conduct (2022), which allows door-to-door campaigns by up to 50 people without permission as long as traffic is not blocked. Furthermore, he said the MCC directs police to remain neutral and ensure equal opportunity for all recognised parties. “By threatening our workers, police are violating both the letter and spirit of these rules,” he stated.
Dr. Sravan also alleged that certain officers were acting under political pressure to obstruct BRS activities and create fear among volunteers. Therefore, he appealed to the ECI, Telangana’s Chief Electoral Officer, the DGP, and the DCP (West Zone) to issue clear written orders to all SHOs and field officers.
Demand for immediate corrective steps
He demanded that police be directed to permit peaceful door-to-door campaigns and maintain absolute neutrality during the by-election. “If police begin to act as agents of the ruling party, democracy will collapse,” he warned. “Their duty is to uphold the Constitution, not to serve politicians.”
Call for prompt action from ECI and DGP
Concluding his statement, Dr. Sravan urged the ECI and DGP to take swift action. “Let the police not become pawns of politics. Let democracy breathe freely in Jubilee Hills,” he said.
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