The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Chemists lathicharged

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Chemists lathicharged

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, APRIL 5. Tension prevailed near the Panjagutta Police Station here on Tuesday when the police resorted to a lathicharge against members of the Andhra Pradesh Chemists and Druggists Association who were protesting against the arrest of their leaders.

Hundreds of pharmacists gathered in front of the Panjagutta Police Station where the association president Ghisulal Jain, general secretary N.S.Sreeramulu, Ranga Reddy district president L. Prakash and former president Ramesh Chandra and four others were taken into custody. The association leaders were arrested at 2.30 pm when they were persuading a medical shop in Panjagutta to down its shutters in view of the ongoing bandh to protest against imposition of multi-point tax on medicines, the members said.

Condemn arrest

As word spread about the arrest of Mr. Jain and others, hundreds of wholesale and retail medical shop owners rushed to the Panjagutta Police Station demanding their release. Condemning the arrests and lathicharge, the association members asserted that their strike would continue till the Government conceded their demands. "Our leaders were manhandled as if they were criminals. We are all educated members urging the Government to see reason in our demand to withdraw multi-point tax." Reiterating that the chemists did not want to subject the public to inconvenience, they said that all the pharmacies attached to the hospitals were being supplied with medicines and an emergency cell (Ph.No.23232348) was opened at the association's office in King Kothi to supply medicines to the needy.

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Andhra Pradesh