The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : ORR issue: BJP leaders held in front of Assembly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 26, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

ORR issue: BJP leaders held in front of Assembly

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party activists were taken into custody by the police for staging a dharna near the Assembly on Friday, as part of their `Chalo Assembly' programme.

Violating the prohibitory orders, BJP leaders led by State general secretary K. Laxman surprised police personnel by suddenly getting down from vehicles and sitting down in protest. Police immediately whisked away BJP vice-president Baddam Bal Reddy, Deputy Mayor Subash Chanderji in waiting vans. The agitators were protesting alleged irregularities in the land acquisition for the Outer Ring Road (ORR) project.

Simultaneously, the police foiled attempts by BJP State President N. Indrasena Reddy and former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya to take out a rally from the Lower Tank Bund to the Assembly. They sealed the route by putting up barbed wire and parking vehicles across the road.

As Mr. Reddy and Mr. Dattatreya tried to surge forward, the police arrested them. More than 1,200 activists including BJP flood leader G. Kishan Reddy were taken into preventive custody and let off in the evening. Talking to The Hindu , Mr. Dattatreya demanded a probe by sitting High Court judge into the alleged irregularities. He said the special package that was being planned for the displaced was not acceptable.

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