In pursuit of its demand for exemplary punishment to the masterminds of the alleged chilli powder adulteration racket, activists of the CPI(M) and its frontal organisations staged a dharna in front of the Collectorate here on Monday to mount pressure on the government to invoke the Preventive Detention (PD) Act against the perpetrators.
Addressing the demonstrators at the Dharna Chowk here on Monday, party district secretary P. Venkateshwara Rao alleged that a well-organised gang has been operating the chilli powder adulteration racket in the district for the past one year.
The recent seizure of over 1.75 lakh bags of residue of chilli seed and adulterated chilli seed powder worth Rs. 45 crore by the sleuths of the Vigilance and Enforcement wing in Madhira, Konijerla, and other mandals in the district exposed the unabated large-scale illegal trade, he said.
Some influential leaders of the ruling party in the district are trying to shield the persons involved in the same, posing grave danger to public health, Mr. Rao alleged, demanding that the kingpins be booked under the PD Act.
CPI(M) State executive member Nunna Nageswara Rao said some local leaders of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi were making desperate attempts to dilute the case in a bid to allow those involved in the illegal trade go scot-free.
Telangana Rythu Sangham district secretary M. Ramesh and CPI (M) district executive member Y. Srikanth also spoke.
Later, a delegation of the party district leaders met Collector D.S. Lokesh Kumar and submitted a memorandum to the latter seeking a thorough probe into the racket.
