MLC Sravan Dasoju Accuses Police For Harassing BRS Workers In Jubilee Hills
Hyderabad, October 17: BRS MLC Dr Sravan Dasoju on Friday accused local police officers in Jubilee Hills Assembly Constituency of harassing party workers and volunteers, calling it a direct assault on democracy and a blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
He demanded immediate intervention from the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) to stop what he described as politically motivated intimidation of opposition campaigners.
Dr Sravan alleged that police personnel, under pressure from the ruling Congress government, were obstructing BRS’s door-to-door campaign activities in several areas of Jubilee Hills by falsely insisting that prior permission was required, even for small campaign groups of 10 to 15 persons.
He described this conduct as a misuse of the police force to suppress democratic participation and influence the electoral process in favour of the ruling party.
“Police are meant to protect democracy, not to crush it under political pressure. The way BRS booth workers are being intimidated exposes the partisan misuse of police machinery by the ruling Congress regime,” Dr Sravan said. He argued that such interference not only violated the MCC but also undermined the very foundation of electoral democracy.
He emphasised that when peaceful campaigners are prevented from meeting voters, the role of the police shifts from law enforcement to political enforcement, which is both unlawful and undemocratic.
Citing the Election Commission of India’s official Manual on Model Code of Conduct (2022), Dr Sravan pointed out that Chapter VII, which deals with campaign conduct, clearly states that no prior permission is needed for door-to-door campaigning by small groups of up to 50 persons, provided that the activity does not obstruct public order or traffic. He said the police action directly contradicted this guideline and was therefore illegal.
He further highlighted that the MCC explicitly directs district administrations and police to remain neutral and ensure that all recognised political parties are given equal opportunities to campaign.
Dr Sravan said that by threatening BRS volunteers and misrepresenting ECI rules, certain police officers were not only violating these instructions but also eroding public trust in the electoral process.
“The District Administration and Police shall remain neutral and ensure that all recognised political parties are given equal opportunities for campaigning. This is what the ECI mandates. But the reality on the ground is that BRS campaigners are being targeted systematically.
This is not negligence—it is wilful violation,” he said. Dr Sravan also warned that such misuse of state machinery to favour the ruling party during elections could set a dangerous precedent for future polls.
He accused some officers of deliberately creating fear among grassroots workers and volunteers by overstepping their mandate and misusing their authority to curtail legitimate political activity.
He reiterated that their duty is to uphold the Constitution, not to serve the interests of those in power. “If police start acting like agents of the ruling party, democracy will collapse. Elections must be fought with people’s support, not police suppression,” he said.
Calling the situation alarming, Dr Sravan urged the Election Commission of India, Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana, Telangana DGP, and the DCP of West Zone, Hyderabad, to issue immediate and unambiguous instructions to all Station House Officers (SHOs) and field officers.
He said police officials must allow peaceful door-to-door campaigns as permitted under the MCC, maintain absolute neutrality, and protect the democratic rights of all political parties to reach out to voters freely and without fear.
Dr Sravan stressed that free and fair elections form the soul of democracy and warned that if neutrality is lost, the credibility of the electoral process itself would be compromised.
He asserted that the people of Telangana would not tolerate politically motivated policing and would resist any attempt to silence legitimate political activity through coercion or fear.
Concluding his appeal, Dr Sravan said that democracy must be allowed to function without interference and that the Election Commission and police leadership must act swiftly to restore fairness in the electoral environment. “Let the police not become pawns of politics.
Let democracy breathe freely in Jubilee Hills. Telangana’s people deserve an impartial, fearless election—not one controlled by fear,” he said. (Maxim News)
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