The Hindu : Cong., Left partymen hurt in lathicharge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 14, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Cong., Left partymen hurt in lathicharge

By Our Special Correspondent

VIJAYAWADA FEB 13. Leaders of the Congress, CPI and CPI(M) were injured when the police made a lathicharge as they tried to barge into the Sub-Collector's office to meet the Minister for Roads and Buildings, K. Vijayarama Rao, and represent the grievances of the people encroaching upon canal berms in the city.

As the Left party leaders offered stiff resistance, the police beat them up badly, bundled them into waiting vans and whisked them away to armed reserve grounds. The arrested leaders included the CPI city secretary, K. Sekharbabu, the CPI(M) district secretary, V. Umamaheswara Rao, the floor leader in the corporation, Baburao, and CITU leaders, D. Kasinath and R. Raghu. The city Congress president, K. Butchibabu, and Deputy Mayor, Satyanarayana, too, were injured in the melee but they were not arrested.

Mr. Vijayarama Rao expressed regret and agreed to order an inquiry into the circumstances that led to lathicharge and take action against police officials if there were any excesses. "I have not given any instructions to the police to make a lathicharge. I have only asked them to keep the crowd under control,'' he clarified.

He said that the arrested leaders would be released immediately. But the police did not release them till 6 p.m. and made a lathicharge again to disperse people seeking their release.

Mr. Vijayarama Rao came to participate in the District Development and Review Committee (DDRC) meeting held at the Sub-Collector`s office today. So, hundreds of people who have encroached upon canal berms thronged the office from 9 am to meet the Minister and express resentment against plans to evict them. Mr. Vijayarama Rao heard them and promised to consider their grievance.

Even as the DDRC meeting was going on, the agitators swelled in number and the leaders demanded the Minister to come out and give an assurance to them on the burning issue. When the Congress MLA, Jaleel Khan, raised the issue at the meeting, the Minister for Agriculture, Sobhanadreswara Rao, clarified that they would not be evicted until arrangements were made for their rehabilitation at Gunadala under Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yozana scheme. The agitators tried to force their way into the office from the second gate taking the police unawares. The police made the lathicharge to drive them out leading to ugly scenes.

The Ministers then met a delegation and listened to the grievances. The Ministers stuck to their stand that encroachers had to be evicted to prevent pollution of canal water.

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

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Cong., Left partymen hurt in lathicharge

Now, panchayats to the rescue of RTC!

Whither e-governance?

Health varsity honours 3 doctors

Naxals chased out of village

CM seeks people's cooperation to tide over drought situation