HYDERABAD: : Describing the death of six party workers in Penukonda as "Government-sponsored murders", the Telugu Desam Legislature Party has demanded suspension of the Inspector General of Police of Rayalaseema region, R. P. Meena, and the Anantapur SP, Praveen Kumar, for failing to control the situation.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, E. Dayakar Rao, secretary of TDLP, and other legislators -- K. Venkata Rao, Harishwar Reddy, D. Narendra Kumar and V. Narender Reddy -- reiterated the demand for a judicial enquiry by a sitting Supreme Court or High Court judge.

Holding the Government and the police responsible for the violence, they expressed surprise at the Government going ahead with its first anniversary celebrations when six innocent lives were lost.

They took exception to the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, laughing away while responding to questions on the issue at a media conference on Friday.

"It only shows that the Government is behind the violence. Otherwise there was no reason for the police to open fire on unarmed persons, even before exhausting the options of lathi charge and bursting of tear gas shells.

If a faction leader heads the Government and if the police machinery is misused for partisan considerations, the end result would be nothing but violence," they observed.

They denied that the party had mobilised a large number of party workers but failed to control them.

There was nothing unusual in candidates getting a large number of supporters at the time of filing nomination. "It is the police that had failed to anticipate and make appropriate arrangements, though the party had informed them and took necessary permission in advance.

They resorted to indiscriminate firing all at the behest of the some police officers and the Government, instead of showing restraint."

They saw no reason for the Government to celebrate one-year and squandering public money on advertisements when most parts of the State were reeling under drought conditions and farmers were committing suicides.

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