Backed by three MPs, several MLAs, the TDP workers on Tuesday gave vent to their anger against the police for their anti-cockfight drive on the eve of Sankranti festival.
A large number of protesters barged into the venue of the official meeting of the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee at the Zilla Parishad office and blocked the passage of the elected representatives and officials, demanding transfer of Superintendent of Police K. Raghuram Reddy for allegedly targeting the TDP on the pretext of preventing cockfights. Soon, the protest gained an impetus with their party Lok Sabha members—Maganti Venkateswara Rao (Eluru), Maganti Muralimohan (Rajahmundry), BJP MP Gokaraju Ganga Raju (Narsapur), Zilla Parishad Chairman Mullapudi Bapi Raju and four MLAs representing Palacol, Gopalapuram, Unguturu and Undi squatted on the pathway leading to the meeting venue.
The meeting was put off to evening as Mr. Venkateswara Rao, who was to preside over it in his capacity as the Chairman of the Vigilance and Monitoring Committee, boycotted the session and joined the protest. He made it clear to Collector Bhaskar Katamneni that he would not convene the meeting until a concrete promise came from the SP to concede the demands of the protesters.
Mr. Muralimohan expressed anguish that there was no end to police harassment for the TDP workers even after the change of the government. He made a strong case for conduct of cockfights for four days during the Sankranti as part of upholding the native ‘tradition and culture’.
The police raid at a place of cock fights at Ramannagudem under Dwaraka Tirumala police limits a couple of days ago resulted in arrest of 17 persons and seizure of Rs. 4.16 lakh in cash turned out to be an ignition for the protest. The drive took a political twist with the arrest of the local Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Society (PACS) president Bramhaiah, also a key functionary of the TDP, on the charge of organising the cockfights.
The cockfight is a multi-crore violent game in the twin Godavari districts during every Sankranti which render countless birds killed which is prohibited under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,1960 and the Andhra Pradesh Gambling Act, 1974.
