The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Protest mars Gandhi Jayanti

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 03, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Protest mars Gandhi Jayanti

Special Correspondent

TDP MLCs stage dharna at Gandhi statue on Assembly premises

HYDERABAD: An unsavoury incident marred Gandhi Jayanti celebrations on Thursday when Telugu Desam MLCs on a ‘dharna’ at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Assembly were bundled out by the police to make way for Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to garland the statue.

The MLCs who were elected from local bodies’ constituencies were demanding more powers and responsibilities for local bodies. Minutes before Dr. Reddy was to arrive at 10 a.m, the Assembly security staff made a request to the MLCs to call off their protest.

But the MLCs pleaded that they be allowed to stay there so that they could meet the Chief Minister and present a bouquet as a mark of protest along with a memorandum.

Bodily lifted

As they did not relent, they were bodily lifted and moved out. Within a few minutes, a group of Congress workers arrived and shouted slogans against TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu. The TDP MLCs who were wearing black scarves raised counter slogans. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister came, paid floral tributes and left.

The MLCs later met Assembly Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy and complained about violation of their privileges and demanded action against “outsiders” who were allowed into the Assembly premises.

Rosaiah’s charge

Taking exception to the MLCs’ protest, Finance Minister K. Rosaiah accused them of lowering the sanctity of Gandhi Jayanti.

They were all elected representatives and could meet the Chief Minister any time and present him a memorandum.

Surprise expressed

He said these MLCs would have been arrested had they created a similar scene outside the Assembly. At a press conference later, the MLCs, D. Veerabhadra Rao, Y. B. Rajendra Prasad, P. Raghunath Reddy, A Revanth Reddy and M. Padmaja, expressed surprise that the Minister should find fault with their Gandhian protest and side with “anti-social elements.”

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh