Ahead of UP CM Yogi's Hyderabad rally, Police warns 'won't tolerate provocative speeches'

Ahead of Uttar Pradesh CM and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath's visit to Hyderabad for the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal polls, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar has said that action will be taken against provocative speeches that can lead to communal disturbances. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections scheduled to be held on December 1 and BJP is sending its top guns including Home Minister and ex-party president Amit Shah to Hyderabad for campaigning.

In view of this, "As far as the nature of the campaign for GHMC elections goes, many star campaigners have been visiting the city and there are other VIP campaigners coming to the city. The police department is all set for providing security to ensure that smooth conduct of campaigning takes place. Action will be taken against provocative speeches leading to communal disturbances," Kumar told ANI. BJP chief JP Nadda campaigned on Friday and slammed the TRS for fooling people of the city. UP CM Yogi Adityanath is all set to campaign on 28 November and Shah on 29 November. 

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Campaign for GHMC polls

The poll campaign for the GHMC polls has gone completely communal with TRS, BJP and AIMIM issuing sharp remarks on each other. Emboldened by their victory in Dubbak by-polls and increased vote percentage in the Lok Sabha polls 2019, BJP has appointed a poll team headed by its national general secretary Bhupender Yadav and will be sending its big guns including Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah and party chief JP Nadda. 

While BJP alleges that AIMIM has sheltered "Rohingyas, Pakistanis" in Hyderabad and have been winning the polls due to their votes, Owaisi has hit back at Centre accusing them of spreading hate in name of religion. BJP has also claimed that TRS and Congress have a closed-door understanding with Owaisi and a vote to any of them is a vote against the country, Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao's party has dismissed the claims and said that they do not owe an explanation to the saffron party. BJP has also asserted that if voted to power, they will rename Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar and has drawn flak from both AIMIM and TRS. 

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Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections

The Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) announced that 150 GHMC divisions will go to polls on December 1 and the counting of votes will be done on December 4. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the polling time has been extended by one hour, i.e., from 7 am to 6 pm. The current term of the GHMC council ends in February 2021 and in the 2016 elections, AIMIM won 44 seats, TRS won 99. BJP won 4 seats, Congress won 2 and TDP won one seat.

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