Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad   

Doubts over Shekhawat's visit

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 24. Uncertainty marks the participation of the Vice-President, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, in the Ganesh immersion procession in the city on September 27.

At a meeting organised by the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi (BGUS) here on Friday, the Union Minister of State for Rural Development, A. Narendra, charged the State Government with attempting to prevent Mr. Shekhawat's participation citing law and order situation.

"I don't foresee any law and order problem. I don't understand why such issues are being raised. More than 24,000 policemen are being deployed. Can't they provide security to one person?" he said.

`Pressure YSR'

Mr. Narendra urged Samithi office-bearers to meet the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, tomorrow and impress upon him the importance of the Vice-President's participation in this year's procession as it coincided with the silver jubilee of the BGUS. He promised to accompany them to the Chief Minister and also Mr. Shekhawat on the issue.

Power to pandals

The Union Minister also lambasted the move to collect charges for providing electricity to Ganesh pandals. "If this continues, we may be forced to stage a sit-in at the Vidyut Soudha. Since the State Government is talking of free power, why not they provide it for the Ganesh festival also," he said.

The former Union Minister, Bandaru Dattatreya, also sought the cooperation of the Chief Minister in ensuring Mr. Shekhawat's participation. "The Government has organised Pushkarams and Brahmotsavams and it will be befitting if the same is done with Ganesh immersion," he said.

Police prepared

In his address, the City Police Commissioner, R.P. Singh, said the decision on the Vice-President's participation lay with Mr. Shekhawat and the Government.

He hinted that the presence of VVIPs at such huge gatherings did distract the police force and cited different Commission reports that went into such issues to buttress his argument.

"However, the city police are fully geared to make necessary security arrangements for the Vice-President if he comes," Mr. Singh quipped.

Member of Parliament, Anjan Kumar Yadav, the Deputy Mayor, Subash Chanderjee, the former MLAs -- Baddam Bal Reddy, Prem Singh Rathore, P. Ramaswamy -- and the BGUS president, G. Pulla Reddy, also spoke.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

Doubts over Shekhawat's visit
Shreya's hearty gesture
Genetic centres to come under scanner
Treat People's War like any other party, police told
`Special' request to SCR
No power supply
Around the city

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu