The Hindu : Front Page : Shadow of Mudigonda incident cast over Prime Minister’s review today

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Tuesday, Jul 31, 2007
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Shadow of Mudigonda incident cast over Prime Minister’s review today

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The Mudigonda firing will loom large on the State’s political firmament as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh undertakes his first ever Andhra Pradesh-specific meeting here on Tuesday to review the State’s performance in various sectors.

Although agriculture and irrigation are high on the broad-based agenda, what will be watched with interest is the Prime Minister’s response to the law and order situation in the aftermath of the police firing in Khammam district on Left parties’ activists. The incident prompted the CPI (M) and the Telugu Desam Party to demand Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s resignation.

TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu has decided to draw Dr. Singh’s attention by sitting on a token day-long fast on Tuesday to protest against the alleged “negligent attitude” of the Prime Minister towards the tragedy while the CPI (M) Polit Bureau in New Delhi said it would raise the issue with the Centre.

Against the backdrop of these developments, the Prime Minister spoke to Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy over telephone on Monday and reviewed the situation arising out of the police firing. The Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister about the circumstances that led to the police firing and also his decision to institute a judicial inquiry. Expressing regret over the ‘unfortunate’ incident, the Prime Minister conveyed his heartfelt sympathy to the relatives of the victims.

The Chief Minister reportedly told Dr. Singh that his Government had exercised utmost restraint during the CPI (M)’s land struggle but extremist elements had infiltrated into the agitation and provoked the police. He said the Government had ordered payment of Rs. 5 lakh ex-gratia to the victims’ families.

A few hours ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, Dr. Reddy reviewed the law and order situation with Home Minister K. Jana Reddy and the police top brass. Land struggles and naxalism and the possibility of penetration of extremist elements into the movement are understood to have figured in the review meeting.

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