Telangana high court allows Bandi Sanjay's padayatra; foot-march should avoid Bhainsa

Despite allowing the yatra, the court said party workers should not raise slogans or hurt the sentiments of other communities

The Telangana high court has green signalled Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay's fifth instalment Praja sangrama padayatra and a rally near Bhainsa, with some conditions.

Bandi was asked to avoid the communally sensitive Bhainsa town, which has a history of clashes between Hindus and Muslims. The court has also directed that the location of BJP's yatra inaugural rally should be three kilometres away from the town in north Telangana.

Following the orders, the TBJP is now organizing the rally on Tuesday.

Bandi was to re-embark on his foot march after the party rally on Monday afternoon at the by-pass road Y Junction at Bhainsa in Nirmal district neighbouring Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra's deputy chief minister was invited as the chief guest.

The fifth edition of the Lok Sabha MP's march in the state was planned to commence at Bhainsa and culminate at Karimnagar on December 17.

However, the Telangana police detained Bandi on Sunday night while he was on his way to Bhainsa. Stating that permission was denied for the padayatra and rally, the cops took him back to his home in Karimnagar.

The police authorities reportedly cited Bhainsa as a hyper-sensitive area “with a 50-year history of communal disturbances.” Clashes between two communities broke out in January 2020 and March 2021 too, following which curfew was clamped in the town for a few days.

However, calling the permission denial as yet another sign of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's “autocratic rule”, the BJP approached the high court to allow it to hold the rally and the march.

Hearing the arguments of the BJP and state government side, the HC allowed Bandi's rally and yatra but ordered that none of the leaders or party workers should raise any slogans or hurt the religious sentiments of other communities.

Participants in the rally and meeting shall not carry any sticks and weapons, while the police shall make arrangements to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.