How many police personnel were deployed for the “Chenetha Deeksha” of YSR Congress party president Y S Vijayamma at Sircilla in Karimnagar district on Monday?

Well, media persons who had covered the rally estimated that there would be not less than 10,000 police personnel right from Hyderabad to the meeting point.

In Siricilla alone, more than 3,000 police personnel were deployed. The Karimnagar Superintendent of Police himself said he had brought additional police forces from Nizamabad, Medak, Warangal and even Mahbubnagar districts.

The Congress leaders, in their complaint to the party high command, said more than 15,000 police were deployed for Vijayamma’s deeksha, which was unprecedented. It gave a very good political mileage to YSR Congress party and brought disgrace to the government.

Apparently realizing that the police are facing a lot of heat for their over-enthusiasm, the DGP office on Wednesday gave a clarification to the media saying Vijayamma’s deeksha was a minor issue and there were no instructions from the state headquarters nor was there any planning in Hyderabad. It was left purely to the discretion of the local SP to make the arrangements based on the intelligent information.

And according to the media clarification, in all, almost 300 personnel were deployed for the Siricilla meeting. “In fact, when it has been brought to the notice of the Police Headquarters that excess force was used on the agitating mob on the borders of Medak, an enquiry was ordered by the DIG of Police, Nizamabad Range, the DGP office pointed out.

So, if there were only 300 police there, who were the other armed persons?