TS Police gear up for Assembly elections

HYDERABAD: Telangana State police are gearing up for the ensuing Assembly elections, and State DGP Anjani Kumar has requested that police officials take adequate precautions regarding security during the visits of political dignitaries and the movement of VVIPs in the State. Simultaneously, the DGP noted the possibility of increased movement of Maoist action teams in the border areas of the State and advised officials to exercise more caution in this regard.

He recently held a video conference with police officers from districts affected by left-wing extremism in the State, following an incident on April 26 in which ten security personnel and one civilian were killed in a landmine blast in South Bastar in Chhattisgarh State. During the conference, Additional DG Greyhounds Vijay Kumar, Additional DG Sanjay Kumar Jain, IG SIB Prabhakar Rao, IGs Chandrasekhar Reddy, and Shanawaz Qasim, as well as officers from all units and border area DSPs were present.

Addressing the officials, he emphasized that even a small incident related to law and order in the State could have severe consequences on Telangana’s development. As a result, police officers should remain vigilant and handle situations firmly. In view of the upcoming State Assembly elections, he stressed the need to enhance security for VIPs during their visits to districts.

The DGP also observed that since the formation of Telangana State, IT industries and many multinational companies have established offices in Hyderabad. He warned that Maoists may act strategically by attacking one sector to create fear among people and advised officers to remain alert at all times.

Regarding extremism activities in the State, the DGP noted that left-wing extremism has completely disappeared in Telangana due to the continuous efforts of the police department. However, since 80 percent of the State’s police force are newly recruited, they should be more aware of Maoist strategies, actions, and attacks. During the conference, officials explained to the DGP the key attacks related to Maoist activities.

Additional DGP (Operations) Vijay Kumar indicated that special training would be provided to PSOs who are deployed to cover VIPs on providing security in case of sudden Maoist attacks and unexpected situations.

IG Prabhakar Rao reported that the situation of extremism in the State and the security measures to be taken by the police were comprehensively explained through a PowerPoint presentation. He also stressed the importance of police constantly interacting with people at the village level to gather information about the movement of Maoists and new entrants at the village level. The police of border villages, in particular, should take extra precautions in this regard.