The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : MRPS calls off protest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 13, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

MRPS calls off protest

Special Correspondent

Meet on June 25 to chalk out future course of action

MAKING A POINT: The MRPS leader, Manda Krishna (right), addressing his followers in the presence of the Telugu Desam leaders -- Kadiam Sriharai and M. Narasimhlu -- in Hyderabad on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: The nightlong sit-in protest by the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) at the Nizam College Grounds here was called off on Sunday morning.

The founder president of MRPS, Manda Krishna Madiga, told presspersons that the protest was called off following an assurance by the Municipal Administration Minister, Koneru Ranga Rao. He gave 10 days time to the Government to send an all-party delegation led by the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, to New Delhi to persuade the Centre to introduce a Bill in the Parliament on Scheduled Caste categorisation.

Time sought

He said the Minister telephoned him an hour before the deadline of 10.30 a.m. and told him that he and other Madiga Cabinet colleagues would meet the Chief Minister and impress upon the need for sending such a delegation.

The Minister sought four days time, as Dr. Reddy was away on tour. Mr. Krishna wanted Dr. Reddy to call on the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, and other alliance partners. The MRPS State executive would meet on June 25 and 26 to chalk out its future course of action.

"The all-party delegation should visit Delhi before June 25 or otherwise the Government will be responsible for any consequences," he said. He warned that the MRPS cadres would disrupt the counselling session for admissions into EAMCET and other professional courses if justice was not done.

Compensation

Three tragic accidents resulting in death of two MRPS workers and injuries to several others forced the leadership to put off the stir by 10 days.

He urged the Government to announce an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakhs to the deceased and Rs. 25,000 to the injured on humanitarian grounds besides bearing the cost of treatment of the injured.

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