The Telangana Police began probing the conspiracy angle in the Secunderabad railway station arson, even as state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay has sensationally accused Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s office behind Friday's violence, vandalism.
One Army job aspirant died and about a dozen others were injured when the railway police personnel had to open fire into the air to control the rampaging mob destroying the railway property and posing threat to public life.
“The violence, vandalism seen at Secunderabad station was part of a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched at the Telangana Chief Minister’s Office to malign the Narendra Modi government at the Centre,” Bandi claimed while addressing party workers in Karimnagar on Saturday.
The TRS and the BJP have been at loggerheads over several issues and Agnipath is the latest disagreement.
According to B Anuradha, SP (Railways), 1500-2000 youth were involved in Friday's protest against the Centre's new Army recruitment scheme and its service tenure system. A few police and railway personnel were also injured in the riots and stone pelting.
Bandi alleged the destruction were pre-planned. “Genuine Army job aspirants who had some misconceptions about Agnipath wanted to register their protest peacefully at the railway station. But anti-social elements joined in, pelted stones at the police and indulged in a large-scale demolition. How was it possible for them to carry petrol bottles into the station premises?” the Lok Sabha MP questioned.
While the railway police had registered criminal cases against the rioters under IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and other legal provisions, and Hyderabad police commissioner CV Anand has ordered a probe to “find out the objective, conspiracy, and detailed planning that went into creating violence and damaging the railway property.”
The investigation agencies have meanwhile found the involvement of the management of some Army jobs coaching institutions in instigating the youth.
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Avula Subbarao, director of Sai Defence Academy based in Narasaraopet in Andhra Pradesh was reportedly taken into custody for questioning.
Following Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's announcement of Agnipath earlier this week, Army job aspirants – many of them who had already cleared medical, physical tests and awaiting the entrance exam for two years now - came together on various WhatsApp groups to discuss their plan of action.
One such WhatsApp group is Hakimpet Army Soldiers, named after an area in Hyderabad with defence establishments and where Army recruitment rallies are often held. Screenshot of a conversation shows the mention of Avula's presence in Hyderabad a day before the violence, while appealing for “support” from other institute directors too.
In an audio clip that surfaced on social media, said to be from the same group, one aspirant was persuading others to carry petrol to burn something down in order to draw attention to their problem.
“There is no point shouting slogans, showing banners. Let us set something on fire in two minutes and the news would spread … I am going to bring some petrol, can anyone else join?”
The police, who have apprehended some youth in the case, have not officially confirmed the authenticity of the groups or the messages yet.