Modi will meet same fate as KCR over protest site curbs: Ponguleti

Hyderabad: Revenue, Housing, and Information and Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy stated on Monday that the right to protest remains a fundamental constitutional right guaranteed to every citizen and political party in a democracy. He emphasized that peaceful protests, sit-ins, and agitations represent legitimate democratic mechanisms for bringing pressing public grievances to the attention of the government.

Recalling historical precedent, the minister noted that Indira Park Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad served as an essential public platform for citizens and political outfits to raise concerns during united Andhra Pradesh.

However, he strongly criticized the previous KCR administration, which assumed power in 2014, for dismantling the iconic protest venue and systematically curtailing public agitation rights. Srinivasa Reddy remarked that voters subsequently taught the BRS administration a fitting political lesson during elections for denying citizens platforms to voice democratic concerns.

Srinivasa Reddy criticized the Narendra Modi administration for allegedly adopting identical restrictive measures against democratic expression. In an official statement released on Monday, he asserted that imposing stringent restrictions on Jantar Mantar, the premier demonstration site in New Delhi, directly contradicts established democratic principles.

The minister observed that just as KCR suppressed public protest venues across Hyderabad, the Modi administration is enforcing similar curbs in the national capital, reflecting an identical autocratic governance style towards opposition voices.

Warning that ignoring public grievances and silencing democratic dissent endangers democratic foundations, Srinivasa Reddy asserted that Narendra Modi would encounter the exact same political outcome as KCR for attempting to stifle public expression.

Reaffirming the ultimate authority of the electorate, the minister warned that citizens inevitably deliver decisive electoral verdicts against any administration that attempts to suppress public voices and restrict constitutional freedoms.

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