The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TD leaders’ attempt to reach Babli fails

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Thursday, Nov 20, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TD leaders’ attempt to reach Babli fails

P. Ram Mohan

Situation at the project site reportedly tense

– Photo: K.V.Ramana

Undeterred: TDP leaders trying to reach the controversial Babli project by boat from Kandakurthy in Nizamabad on Wednesday.

KANDAKURTHY (NIZAMABAD Dt.): The attempt of Telugu Desam leaders on Wednesday to reach the controversial Babli project coming up across the Godavari in Dharmabad taluq of Nanded district in Maharashtra was unsuccessful. Having learnt that a large posse of police force was deployed around Babli and that the borders were sealed, the Opposition members wanted to reach the project site through another route. Splitting into two groups, one group set out on two country boats along with media persons on river and another tried to venture through Dharmabad by road.

The group led by Member of Parliament E. Dayakar Rao with MLA V. Narender Reddy and former Minister Mandava Venkateswar Rao after having gone a few kilometres returned to the shore as they were told by their colleagues travelling by road, not to venture further as the situation at the project site was reportedly tense.

Superintendent of Police N. Suryanarayana reportedly informed former Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy that the situation was tense at Babli as local people there were angry. It seems the Maharashtra police probably requested the SP to prevail upon the TDP leaders to withdraw their move, Mr. Reddy said.

Meanwhile the residents, at the behest of Maharashtra police put up road blocks at Bellur village located immediately after the Andhra Pradesh border preventing another team of TDP leaders from proceeding to Babli by road.

They put up logs and bullock carts on the road. The Nanded police told the visiting leaders and reporters that some youth in the village were ready to attack and asked them to quit the place as early as possible.

The efforts made by former Ministers Kadiam Srihari and Srinivas Reddy and MLC J. Sudhakar Rao to convince the police to allow them to the controversial project did not yield result. Inspector of Police Bhagavath Sonvane made it clear that they were helpless and Section 144 was in force.

Later in the late afternoon the TDP leaders staged a dharna on the road bridge shouting slogans:“Roko roko Babli roko and bachao bachao SRSP. They strongly condemned Maharashtra for not allowing them to visit the project.

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