Srikrishna report: Andhra Pradesh gears up to meet exigencies

The Andhra Pradesh government has geared up to deal with any fallout of the Srikrishna committee report on Telangana, given to Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi today.

So far, 50 companies of paramilitary forces, including the Central Reserve Police Force, the Central Industrial Security Force and the Border Security Force, have been deployed in the state and more would be requested, depending on the need. The police would also deploy ‘less lethal’ weapons to deal with mob fury, if any, according to Director General of Police K Aravinda Rao.

The police have developed some of these weapons, procured some and modernised some of these. These would include the likes of rubber bullets. “In many countries, police do not use rifles to control mobs. But for some reason, we are still continuing with the same method,” he said, adding rifles would be replaced gradually.

 

Speaking to the media at the customary annual briefing here, he said the police would be prepared, based on last year’s experience. “It all depends on how the political parties and public in general read the committee report,” he said. “The nature of agitation, degree and type of violence cannot be predicted.”

“The police will not act in haste. We will be guarded in making statements or overreacting to situations,” he said.

Last year, the police had identified 1,600 ‘troublesome’ locations. “The paramilitary force is trained to shoot. We have been telling them to show restraint before taking any action.”

“We have to be prepared as the problem is in our land,’’ he said. The police chief also asked the media to refrain from flaring emotions with commentary.

A five-member committee, led by Justice B N Srikrishna, was formed in February to study, among other things, the situation in Andhra Pradesh following protests for a separate Telangana state and the counter-protests that paralysed the state. It was expected to give several options and their implications to the contentious demand for a separate statehood.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti, spearheading the movement for a separate state, said the report would have no bearing on its demand. The party wants the Centre to table a Bill in Parliament for a formation of Telangana in the ensuing Budget session.