Jagan Mohan Reddy wins case against police, will hold rally in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Jagan Mohan Reddy, the head of the YSR Congress, has won a court case to hold what's expected to be a large rally in Hyderabad  later this month where he will champion a "United Andhra" and repeat his objections to the bifurcation of his home state.

The Hyderabad police had refused permission for the rally, arguing that it could cause unrest at a time when the state is witnessing massive protests against the centre's decision to split Andhra Pradesh by carving out one of its three regions- Telangana -as a separate state. The other two regions of Seemandhra are vehemently opposed to the blueprint for their future.

Today, the Andhra Pradesh High court ruled in Mr Reddy's favour, allowing his rally to be staged from 2 to 5 pm on the condition that he will not deliver a provocative speech.  The YSR Congress says it will now ask the police to let it hold the gathering on October 28 at Hyderabad's large Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium. 

This will be the first public meeting by any political party in Hyderabad to oppose the central government's decision to turn Telangana into India's 29th state.The IT hub of Hyderabad has for years served as the epicenter of the passionate and often violent campaign for a Telangana state. For the next 10 years, it will be a shared capital for the old and new states, after which Seemandhra will be assigned its own capital city.

It will also be the first public gathering that Mr Reddy will address since he left jail late last month. He spent more than a year in prison after being charged with corruption. The CBI's investigation against him continues.

Mr Reddy, who is 43, has accused the ruling Congress of green-lighting state status for Telangana so that the region votes overwhelmingly in its favour in the approaching national election.