146 activists, students booked under UAPA in Telangana; CM Rao's intervention sought

Hyderabad, June 24:  The development of Telangana police department invoking Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against 146 activists, including students and retired professors for alleged links with banned CPI(Maoist), has triggered a debate across the state.

The National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), a forum known for launching social movements, has sent a letter to the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in this regard.

The NAPM had stated that invoking FIR under the provision of UAPA is a disturbing development and called for his immediate intervention.

In 52-page FIR, the Tadvai police registered case against 152 persons under several sections including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

In the FIR copy, the Tadvai police said that on August 19, 2022, complainant V. Shankar was performing his duties at Pasra Circle, when he received information about an assembly of members of banned CPI (Maoist).

The charges were framed against 152 persons but later, the department had dropped charges against six of them.

The NAPM had stated that the remaining 146 persons are lawyers, educationists, activists, trade union leaders, students, retired professors, cultural workers and also from the women's groups.

The organisation had urged Chief Minister Rao to close the FIR immediately in the jurisdictional court and release all accused persons who are arrested under this FIR.

The organisation also called to close all previous cases where the provision of UAPA is invoked without discretion and to protect activists and social groups. The organisations also urged to stop "subduing" of the activists and social movements in Telangana.

It also demanded withdrawal of the UAPA Act.

The Congress state unit has slammed the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government and urged it to demand closure of cases against all the 146 activists. "They are not criminals. They are social activists," the party maintained.