The TDP on Friday demanded that Andhra Pradesh Labour Minister Danam Nagender be immediately removed from the state Cabinet, against whom, a criminal case has been filed for allegedly abusing police officers on duty and locking up the main gate of a temple at Banjara Hills here on Thursday.
“Mr. Nagender should be arrested first and removed from the Cabinet forthwith for behaving like a street rowdy and inciting people to indulge in illegal acts,” Telugu Desam Party (TDP) senior leader and former Mayor Teegala Krishna Reddy said.
Talking to newsmen at the party headquarters this afternoon, Mr. Teegala said, the minister had hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus by locking up the temple gate.
He recalled that the State government itself issued an order in 2009 allocation about 4.38 acres of land to the Hare Krishna Movement for renovating and upgrading the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple.
“The minister is using the local people as a cover to grab the temple land to lay a road to his personal land in the vicinity. It was the same Nagender who got hundreds of families evicted from Bhimraovada for construction of Congress party office at Nampally.
“If he is sincere about poor people, the minister should get the controversial GO revoked and house-site pattas (title deeds) issued to the displaced families,” the TDP leader demanded.
It may be recalled that Mr. Nagender accompanied by his supporters went to the temple on Thursday and locked up the main gate and prevented the Hare Krishna Movement people and temple priests from entering in. When police tried to prevent Mr. Nagender, he abused and threatened them with dire consequences.
Accordingly, a criminal case under various sections of IPC, including 353 (preventing a public servant from discharging official duties), has been registered against him in the Banjara Hills police station.
Mr. Nagender, however, sought to defend his act saying he was fighting on behalf of the people who were his constituents.
“Such cases are nothing new to me. I will face them,” he maintained.
TDP general secretary Varla Ramaiah also demanded immediate arrest of the delinquent minister.
“Some members of the state Cabinet are behaving like anti- social elements. It’s a curse for people of AP that the likes of Nagender are continuing as ministers. The Chief Minister should act at once against the errant minister,” Mr. Ramaiah demanded.
