The externment order passed by the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad expelling Kathi Mahesh from the limits of Hyderabad is highly objectionable. The law which is meant for Goondas and bootleggers is used against a critique. Kathi Mahesh never incited any mob to injure the feelings of any religious group. In fact it is the apologists and protagonists of Hindutva brand politics and the self styled Sadhus that are inciting the mobs to make physical attacks on Kathi Mahesh.
The Commissioner, in his externment order, described the TV debate of Kathi Mahesh as equivalent to an act of Goonda. In essence, Kathi Mahesh is branded as Goonda by the police. The police without reason felt that the expressions of Mahesh in a TV debate attract Section 505 (2) of Indian Penal Code and registered a criminal case in Banjara Hills police station. He is not proved guilty in any Court in an impartial trial. Police gave a judgement without even examining a single witness. Police in the externment order said that not a single person in Hyderabad is coming forward to give evidence against Mahesh. Then on what basis the police could conclude that his presence in Hyderabad posed danger and threat to fraternity of the members of different groups of people and created enmity among different groups? The act of the police in expelling Mahesh is uncalled for and it is unconstitutional. The externment order infringes his constitutional rights.
The police, in a bid to suppress the voice of a critique, gave encouragement to Hindutva forces. Th externment order gives courage to those who are brazenly inciting violence. We demand the Govt of Telangana to direct its police to respect constitution and withdraw the externment order issued against Kathi Mahesh .
Gorrepati Madhava Rao
HRF President
G.Mohan
HRF General Secretary
10.07.2018
Hyderabad