On eve of Telangana report, AP beefs up security

The Andhra Pradesh Police have made elaborate arrangements to maintain law and order in the state in view of the Justice Srikrishna Committee report getting public after an all-party meeting called by Home Minister P Chidambaram in Delhi on Thursday.

The meeting has been convened to discuss the report, which went, among other things, in the demand for Telangana state. It was submitted to the government on December 30. Apart from the state police force, 50 companies of para-military forces comprising Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force and Central Industrial Security Force personnel have been deployed in all the three regions - coastal Andhra, Telangana and Rayalaseema, Director General of Police (DGP) K Arvinda Rao said.

In the state capital, 18 companies of para-military

forces have been deployed, particularly near the Assembly building, Secretariat and Osmania University, the nerve centre of the statehood movement. To review the security arrangements, the DGP held video conference with district Superintendents of Police (SPs) and reviewed the situation.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad Police Commissioner A K Khan appealed to the media to exercise restrain while broadcasting news relating to the report. Khan asked the media to adhere the guidelines issued by News Broadcaster Association (NBA). The NBA has suggested certain guidelines like all news relating to the report should strictly adhere to the contents of the report, not broadcasting any footage of violence, agitation, self-immolation if any, and not showing any visuals relating to protests or celebrations.