Hyderabad:
The Telangana police chief today appealed to citizens to firmly oppose attacks on children and their sexual harassment and take a solemn pledge to end the social menace.
DGP Anurag Sharma called for cooperation and support in the police's endeavour to stop abuse of children.
He was addressing school children from the city, who took out a rally to highlight the issue of violence/ill-treatment of kids.
Tennis star Sania Mirza, who is the brand ambassador of Telangana, and State Home Secretary Ajay Mishra flagged off the rally.
The police chief advised students, their relatives, teachers and intellectuals to publicly debate the issue and spread awareness about it.
"This battle is not to be fought by teenagers alone, but by the entire society. Senior police officials will be available to help you and support you in fight against the social malaise," he said.
Children should immediately get in touch with police by calling a toll-free number (1098) in case they are in trouble and need help, Mr Sharma said.
"Victims of child abuse should alert family members, teachers and friends about wrong done to them and not hide in embarrassment or be scared of any threat," Sania said.
She added that the media should also play a constructive role in curbing this criminal trend.