The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Telangana Rashtra Samithi men target Naidu's convoy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 27, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Telangana Rashtra Samithi men target Naidu's convoy

Staff Reporter

Over 20, including DSP, injured in violence

SIDDIPET: The police fired four rounds in the air and used teargas to disperse Telangana Rashtra Samithi activists at Pothareddypet in Medak district on Thursday following pelting of stones on the convoy of the TDP president, N. Chandrababu Naidu. He was on a day's tour to Medak district to meet the families of farmers who committed suicide.

In the clash that followed, 20 workers of the Telugu Desam Party and the TRS, the Toopran DSP, Mohan Reddy, and the Sub Inspector, Venkateswarlu, were injured. One police vehicle was also damaged in the incident. The cameraman of a Telugu television channel was also hurt. TRS workers, who had waited for Mr. Naidu's convoy, raised slogans and pelted eggs, tomatoes and chappals on the bullet-proof vehicle at Chegunta, Ramayampet and Pothareddypet.

MLA's hand alleged

Mr. Naidu's tour began peacefully from Jeedipalli of Toopran mandal but TRS protests became louder and violent by the time he reached Ramayampet, Dubbak and Dommat. Later, Mr. Naidu alleged that the TRS MLA, S. Ramalinga Reddy personally supervised the attack on him at Pothareddypet.

Speaking to reporters at Bhumpally village after visiting a dried up sugarcane farm, Mr. Naidu termed the incident inhuman and undemocratic. "In a pre-planned way the Congress-TRS combine tried to stop me from meeting drought-hit farmers of the poorest region in the State," he said. Mr. Naidu repeatedly made an appeal to the police to clear the TRS activists from the highway. He even spoke to the ASP, Alexander, on the phone, asking him to protect TDP workers.

In Hyderabad, the Chief Minister condemned the attack and said the act was `unwarranted' and `hasty.' Later, addressing a public meeting at Thogunta, he warned the TRS that if TDP staged similar protests, none of the Ministers would be able to visit any part of the State. It had taken all the necessary steps when the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajashekhara Reddy, undertook his "padayatra" before elections. He said that the Regional Development Boards proposed by the Congress should have enough financial freedom.

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