Hyderabad: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday called for the immediate suspension of police officers involved in a violent lathi charge near the Mutyalamma temple in Secunderabad.
P. Balaswamy, a VHP leader, said that the police officers used excessive force against Bajrang Dal workers and Hindu devotees during a peaceful protest on Saturday. He demanded that these officers be removed from duty. During a press conference at the VHP office in Kothi, Balaswamy announced that the organization would submit a petition to the State Governor, Jishnu Dev Varma, on Monday, urging him to take action against the police involved.
Balaswamy criticized the lack of response from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who also oversees the Home Ministry. He expressed disappointment that neither the Chief Minister nor the Endowments Minister, Konda Surekha, had addressed the issue. He argued that while the government is focused on the revenue generated from temples, it should also respect the religious sentiments of Hindus.
The VHP leaders further demanded that the Director General of Police (DGP) take immediate action against the officers responsible for ordering the lathi charge. They gave the State government and officials a 48-hour deadline to address the issue. Balaswamy also accused the police of harassing Hindu activists by filing false cases against them following the incident.
