YS Sharmila Denied Permission for TSPSC Paper Leak Protest: Alleges Police Manhandling and Restrictions

YS Sharmila, the chief of YSR Telangana Party, was prevented by the city police from leaving her house on Monday to submit a representation to the officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) who were investigating the TSPSC paper leak. When she tried to leave her home, police officials stopped her and she got into a heated argument with them, alleging that she was being manhandled and restricted by women constables. Sharmila was seen pushing a policeman and allegedly slapping a lady constable as she tried to grab her hand. She was eventually taken away by the police in their vehicle.

Sharmila had planned to hold a hunger strike on April 17 under the banner of 'Telangana Students' Action for Vacancies and Employment' (T-SAVE), a platform initiated by her party, YSRTP. However, the police had denied permission for the protest. Sharmila had filed a petition in the High Court seeking permission to hold the protest against unemployment, but the court had directed that not more than 500 people should participate in the hunger strike. After the police denied permission, YSRTP criticized Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, calling his rule atrocious and accusing him of dictatorial treatment towards those who raised their voices against his failures and false promises.