The city police foiled Andhra-Telangana People Organisations' Joint Action Coordination Committee's attempt to organise roundtable conference here on Sunday.
The police asserted that the committee had not obtained any permission to organise the event.
The police descended in good numbers on the Press Club as Samaikyandhra protagonists announced that they would thwart the roundtable conference. Activists led by Samaikyandhra Political JAC convener Kolanukonda Sivaji assembled on the Press Club premises.
The police took three persons, who attempted to raise slogans in favour of bifurcation of State, into preventive custody and dispersed the organisers and Samaikyandhra activists from there.
The organisers, however, vowed to hold a meeting within four to five days after taking proper permission. It led to protest by the committee members at Ambedkar statue near Tummalapalli Kshetrayya Kalakshetram. They garlanded Ambedkar statue and vowed to continue their agitation for smaller states.
Venue shifted
The Coordination Committee, earlier, planned to organise the conference at Tadikonda Ramulu and Pan Owners Association Kalyana Mandapam in Poornandampeta. But, they shifted the venue to the Press Club.
In the two instances, the managements told the committee that they would not permit the conference unless it obtained permission from the police. Addressing the media, committee convener Bellayya Nayak, co-convener P. Sriramlu said that they deferred the conference honouring the Police Commissioner's suggestion to obtain prior permission notwithstanding the fact that police permission was not required for a closed door meeting. The Coordination Committee was planning to constitute working groups to dispel apprehensions on key issues -- sharing of water, safety and security of settlers and their properties, Mr. Nayak said, adding, they would organise the conference in a week. BJP State Council member and Jai Andhra JAC convener G. Chitti Babu, D. Ravindranath Reddy, Jai Andhra leader Sunkara Krishna Murthy, S.V. University former V-C Kolakaluri Inak, Bandla Appa Rao, Jai Andhra leader B. J. Augustine, Telangana Journalist Forum convener Palle Ravi, Dalit Bahujan Front president K. Vinaykumar, and Muslim Reservation Front's Syyed Rafi were present.
