The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Mysoora stages novel protest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 16, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Mysoora stages novel protest

Staff Reporter

Congress Government accused of blocking way to his house

ROAD SHOW: TDP leader M.V. Mysoora Reddy taking bath on the pavement in front of his house in Hyderabad on Sunday. Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD : Telugu Desam leader M.V. Mysoora Reddy took bath, had breakfast and spoke to the media, all on the road on Sunday morning, in a novel protest against the Government's `highhandedness' in blocking with a barbed wire the only passage leading to his house.

Dr. Reddy, who returned from his native Kamalapuram in Kadapa district, said he was shocked to find the entry to his house on Road No. 2, Banjara Hills, sealed off. "Until the Government showed me a way of driving into his house, I shall live in full view of the road, but on his own land that was given away for road-widening," he said.

He told presspersons that when he had given up the land for the road- widening, officials had assured him that he could continue to use the Government land to approach his house. He had sought at least a month's time for shifting the sump, bore-well and for constructing a new compound wall. They were cooperative enough thus far, but their sudden action took him by surprise, he added.

Leaders' support

Several TDP leaders conveyed their solidarity to Dr. Reddy and criticised the Government. Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu too called him up.

It's a drama: Congress

Special Correspondent adds: Meanwhile the Congress Legislature Party has termed the protest a political drama.

Government Chief Whip N. Kiran Reddy and whip D. Sridhar Babu told reporters that the Government had merely raised fencing on its own land and not the TDP leader's house.

The Congress leaders said it was Dr. Reddy, who had refused the MCH offer to construct a compound wall after a part of his land was used for road-widening.

He said erecting a fencing near Dr. Reddy's house was not an isolated instance but part of the MCH drive to protect the Government lands from encroachments. The MCH authorities had merely performed their duty, they said.

The Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad has disclaimed any mischief in `blockage' of entrance to the house Dr. Reddy and stated that it had put up the fence around it like any other property before the compound wall construction.

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