‘Who asked you to marry a cop’ question sparks more protests: Constables in uniform take to streets

The agitation is said to have intensified after a senior official during a counselling session allegedly asked some of the protesting wives as to who had asked them to marry TGSP constables.

Hyderabad: Indicating that the protest by families of police constables was far from over despite the State’s attempts to pacify them, the constables too joined the protests on Saturday. Personnel from different battalions took the streets, that too in uniform, in different districts in a rare sight in Telangana.

The agitation is said to have intensified after a senior official during a counselling session allegedly asked some of the protesting wives as to who had asked them to marry TGSP constables.

A video of an officer raising objection over the attitude of senior officers towards their families went viral, with the officer is seen telling a senior official that after their family members had staged protests, they were called for counseling.

“During the counseling session, a senior officer asked our family members as to who asked you to marry TGSP constables. How can senior officers speak like that with the woman, who are already under lot of distress,” the officer is seen questioning the senior official.

Personnel from different battalions are staging protests across the districts on Saturday. Perhaps for the first time in the history of Telangana, constables were seen staging protests in uniforms.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed at Rangareddy after the Maheswaram police obstructed the family members of police personnel from staging protests. Family members gathered on the Ibrahimpatnam and Nagarjunasagar highway and wanted to stage protests, however the Maheswaram police denied permission and entered into arguments with them. This triggered a scuffle between the police and the protesting family members.

Responding to the situation, BRS working president KT Rama Rao posted on X saying: “Fantastic governance in Telangana. Police rebel against police. Elect a clown, Expect a circus…”

Raising slogans “Ek police system banao” and “We want justice”, the police personnel were still staging demonstrations at different places when reports last came in. In many places, the police constables conducted march pasts and raised slogans in uniforms.

At a few places, LED screens were arranged and videos of the family members pouring out their agony against the abnormal duties and long work hours were being played.

At Nalgonda, the police battalion personnel are demanding suspension of Nalgonda Rural SI Saida Babu. They alleged that the SI was abusing their family members, who were staging protests peacefully. They demanded the senior officers to immediately suspend the SI and threatened to intensify their protests if their demands were not considered.

The special police constables previously had a 15-day duty circle with four days off, but under the Revanth Reddy government they were forced to work for 26 days with only four days of rest, triggering the protests.

In an attempt to pacify the protesting spouses of the constables, the TGSP had on Friday issued orders keeping the contentious Recorded Permission for the personnel in abeyance until further orders. All the battalion commandants were also instructed to conduct durbars and obtain grievances and representations from the police personnel.