The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TDP MLA detained for holding up traffic

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Monday, Jul 09, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TDP MLA detained for holding up traffic

Staff Reporter

Action against officials sought for causing damage to mini reservoirs

VISAKHAPATAM: Police lathi-charged Telugu Desam Party activists and later detained MLA Chengal Venkat Rao for holding up traffic on the National Highway in front of the police station at Payakaraopeta, about 100 km from here, on Sunday.

The TDP activists led by Mr. Venkat Rao staged a rasta roko following expiry of the deadline to the ultimatum issued by the MLA to the Government to take action against officials for the damage caused to two mini reservoirs being built on the Tandava riverbed at a cost of Rs. 7.5 crores.

Cases booked

Mr. Venkat Rao, against whom cases under Section 283 along with 34 were booked under IPC for obstructing traffic on the highway, had set a 15-day deadline for action stating that the reservoir works were of poor quality.

The deadline expired on Saturday.

The rasta roko was staged for four hours from 3.30 p.m. It held up traffic on both sides of Payakaraopeta up to a distance of 20 km.

As the MLA and his men bluntly refused to listen to the pleas of the police and vehicle drivers to call off the protest, some of the people held up in the traffic blamed the police for not taking action against the protesters. They also raised slogans against the MLA.

Later, the police lathi-charged the TDP men and took some of the protesters into custody. With police intervention, the traffic jam was cleared.

When contacted, SP Akun Sabharwal said that cases had been registered against the MLA and others as per rules for holding up traffic on the highway causing inconvenience to the public.

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