The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TDP holds dharna with slain leader's body

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 07, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TDP holds dharna with slain leader's body

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, SEPT. 6. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led by its State and district leaders took out a protest procession with the body of the Kanaganapalli Mandal Parishad president, Tagarakunta Prabhakar, who was allegedly shot dead by his Congress rivals on Sunday evening.

The TDP activists and family members of Prabhakar blamed the Congress leaders and the police for the killing and staged dharna in front of the offices of DCC, Superintendent of Police and the DIG, Anantapur Range.

DSP's suspension sought

The TDP leaders wanted the Anantapur DSP, B. Balanarasimha Reddy, to be suspended alleging that he had a key role in the killing.

The procession culminated at the DIG's office where the activists staged a dharna for about two hours in spite of intermittent showers and placed the body in front of the office entrance. Speaking on the occasion, the party leaders -- Nagam Janardhan Reddy and C. Ramachandraiah -- said they had pleaded with the SP and the DIG several times to stop the killings but to no avail. Alleging that the DIG was responsible for the killing for failing to provide security to Prabhakar even after the latter had approached him on Sunday morning, they said the DIG be named first accused in the case.

DIG's assurance

The dharna was called off after an assurance from the DIG and the SP to provide security to all the TDP leaders. They also assured to verify the role of police officers in the killing. Later, the body was taken to Tagarakunta village for burial.

The TDP leaders -- B.V. Mohan Reddy, V. Hanumantharaya

Chowdary, N. Kistappa, P. Keshav, K. Srinivasulu, B. K. Parthasarathi, P. Raghunatha Reddy, M. Govinda Reddy, P. Samanthakamani -- and others were present.

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