YS Sharmila gets Telangana HC nod to resume yatra

HYDERABAD: YSRTP chief YS Sharmila was allowed to resume her padayatra on Tuesday by the Telangana high court which directed the Warangal police commissioner to accord permission.
“Impose conditions, but permit her to resume her yatra. If politicians cannot move freely on roads, then who can?” Justice B Vijaysen Reddy said while finding fault with police rejection of permission.
The high court order comes after over two weeks of political slugfest since the cops stopped the yatra in Warangal on November 28 following a violent clash between YSRTP and TRS (now BRS) cadres over Sharmila’s alleged remarks against the pink party and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Sharmila has been at loggerheads with the TRS government over yatra permission denial despite the HC initially giving a conditional nod on November 29, a day after the Warangal clash. Subsequently, she even sat on a fast-unto-death from December 9, which was subsequently foiled by cops who forcibly admitted her to hospital on December 11.
Earlier, objecting to Sharmila’s plea, Telangana state home department counsel M Roopender said that she has been using provocative language in her speeches.
“She termed TRS leaders as Taliban and described Telangana as Afghanistan. She used intemperate language against Narsampet MLA Peddi Sudharshan Reddy,” Roopender said. Brushing aside the argument, the judge said politicians always criticise each other.
“If there is scope for anyone to have a grievance, then it should be Narsampet MLA. Let him raise the issue in court. Politicians can use freedom of expression, but they should not take debate to the level of personal abuse,” the judge said.