The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TDP, TRS chiefs display rare bonhomie

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


=

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TDP, TRS chiefs display rare bonhomie

Special Correspondent

Chandrababu Naidu, KCR, Raghavulu, Narayana arrested at Opposition-sponsored rally, freed later

Opposition members stall House proceedings, demand Jana’s statement on arrest of leaders
Police deny permission for rally on the grounds of Assembly being in session

— Photo: P. V. Sivakumar

Political camaraderie: TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu with TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao and CPI State secretary K. Narayana in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

HYDERABAD: In a display of bonhomie, Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao held their hands aloft in solidarity at an Opposition-sponsored rally here on Tuesday to protest against the Centre and the State governments for their failure to reduce petroleum prices.

The two leaders, who were seen on a common platform for the first time since they parted company in 2001, also spoke in a similar language while addressing the demonstrators. Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said, he was determined to see the end of the Congress, while Mr. Naidu pitched in to say in that it was just a beginning.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu and CPI State secretary K. Narayana also joined hands with the two leaders. All the four leaders were arrested by the city police and released later.

At the police station, the Opposition leaders jointly demanded reduction in the price of petroleum products in tune with drastic fall in the price of crude from US $150, a few months ago to a mere US $50 currently. This could reduce prices of essential commodities too, they opined.

Change of plan

The four leaders and the cadre were to take out a rally from Khairatabad railway station in the capital to the Raj Bhavan and after some slogan-shouting, submit a memorandum to Governor N.D. Tiwari. They changed their plan because the police refused permission as the Assembly was in session.

Therefore, the agitators chose another destination in the city, viz. the Necklace Road railway station as the venue of their dharna. However, the quartet and followers were picked up by the police even as they put their plan into action.

Within the Assembly, the TDP, TRS, CPI and CPI(M) members stalled the proceeding demanding a statement by the Home Minister K. Jana Reddy on the arrest of the leaders. Some of them rushed to the podium. When they did not respond to Deputy Speaker G. Kuthahalmma’s appeal to return to their seats, the latter adjourned the House abruptly for the day. N. Janardhan Reddy (TDP) said the arrest amounted to curtailment of freedom of expression.

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

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section