STOPPED IN THEIR TRACKS: Leaders of the TDP, the CPI(M) and the CPI(ML) New Democracy being stopped by the police from taking out a rally at Khammam on Thursday.

KHAMMAM: The Khammam-to-Hyderabad `maha car' rally planned by the opposition parties to press their demand for allocation of Rs. 2,500 crores for the Dummugudem and Rudramkota lift schemes did not take off here on Thursday as the police sealed all the roads in the town. They took important leaders expected to lead the rally into custody and dispersed the crowd.

The parties then embarked on what they called a `maha padayatra'. TDP district president and former Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao, CPI(M) central committee member and MLA Thammineni Veerabhadram, CPI (ML New Democracy) leader and Yellandu MLA Gummadai Narsaiah led the rally which began from the town at 5 p.m.

The padayatra would cover the 190-km distance from Khammam to Hyderabad in six days.

Some 400 persons joined the padayatra, but the number of participants kept swelling till it crossed the Munneru river bridge.

The situation in the town was tense because of the heavy presence of police.

The opposition leaders feared that the police might stop the padayatra before it crossed the district border.

The police plunged into action on Wednesday night itself stopping the Hyderabad-bound car of CPI(M) leader and Bhadrachalam MLA Sunnam Rajaiah in the temple town at 10 p.m.

As the action triggered protests, the police arrested TDP leader Tummala Nageswara Rao at Kallur.

CPI(M) district secretary P. Sudharshan was also taken into custody along with other party leaders in Khammam.

However, all of them were released later in the night.

The opposition leaders condemned the police action. Mr. Nageswara Rao said the agitation for funds would be stepped up further as the Government failed to respond positively.

CPI(M) leader Thammineni Veerabhadram said the Government was out to suppress the protests by any means.

CPI(ML New Democracy) leader P. Ranga Rao said the opposition parties would not give up the protest until the Government sanctioned Rs. 2,500 crores for the two lift schemes for which Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy laid foundation stones at Dummugudem and Rudramkota one year ago.

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