Left parties protest GO banning rallies, meetings on roads

Tirupati: Protesting the government order banning rallies and meetings on roads and streets, the Left parties, CPM, CPI and BSP, jointly staged a dharna and also burnt the copies of the GO here on Wednesday.

The leaders of left parties also demanded the state government to immediately withdraw the orders prohibiting the roadshows, protests on roads and on highways. CPI district secretary Murali, CPM district leaders Jaichandra and BSP city president Venkatesh said that the GO was nothing but the government's direct attack on democratic rights and aimed to stifle the voice of people on various issues faced by them.

Turning their ire on Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, they said all the years, he used the police to take repressive measures, to foil protests, meetings and roadshows by opposition parties on various issues but now he went one step ahead by issuing the GO to deprive the democratic rights including freedom of expression to bring back colonial British rule. They warned that the opposition parties resort to large scale protests statewide, if the government did not withdraw the GO No 1. CPI city secretary Viswanath, leaders Penchalaiah, Radhakrishna, Nadia and others were present.

Jana Sena party also in a statement condemned the government for issuing the GO and demanded its immediate withdrawal.