The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Punitive tax to contain factional violence

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 09, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Punitive tax to contain factional violence

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 8. Unveiling a host of measures to contain the recent spurt of violence in the faction-ridden Rayalaseema region, especially in Anantapur district, the State Government has announced imposition of `punitive tax' on persons indulging in factional violence.

The Home Minister, K. Jana Reddy, claiming that the law and order situation was in `total control', declared today that statutes like the Anti-Goonda Act and the Preventive Detention Act would be invoked against those indulging in violence. He made it clear that the punitive tax would be imposed only on those ``involved in clashes and not on all residents of a particular village or area.'' If necessary, ``some persons responsible for faction feuds'' would be externed from the districts after taking permission from the Collectors concerned.

He was addressing a press conference after reviewing the law and order situation with police officers of Rayalaseema region through videoconference. Officers were directed to identify the areas that required deployment of additional forces and stepping up of patrolling.

Free hand

Condemning the 14 murders committed in Anantapur since the Congress Government took over three months ago, Mr. Reddy said the Government was viewing this violence seriously. Out of 130 accused persons in these 14 murders, 90 had already been arrested. The Rayalaseema IG and DIG were given a free hand to choose officers for appointment in strategic places for better maintenance of law and order.

The Government would undertake relief measures for those whose plantations had been destroyed by their opponents.

Previous enmity

Political conflicts, struggle for supremacy in villages, faction fights, previous enmity and family disputes could be reasons behind this violence.

Of the 14 murders in Anantapur, 12 belonged to the Telugu Desam Party and two to the Congress. However, the Minister refuted the allegations of TDP leaders that their activists were being targeted. He listed statistics relating to some selective periods of Congress and Telugu Desam regimes.

The Government considered all the 14 victims in the Anantapur violence to be citizens of Andhra Pradesh irrespective of their affiliation to different political parties, he remarked. He appealed to all parties to come out with constructive suggestions to contain the violence instead of attempting to derive political mileage.

However, he conceded that "some of the 14 murders reported in Anantapur are politically motivated." He feigned ignorance about the number and names of the victims.

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