More than a dozen Telugu Desam Party (TDP) activists were injured when Maharashtra police cane-charged them as scores of them tried to cross the border near Laabdi village of Adilabad district on Sunday. They planned to visit Dharmabad and express solidarity with TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and others who were under judicial remand following their arrest on Friday. Tension prevailed on the border near Bidrelli and Laabdi villages as TDP activists gathered there in large numbers even as a heavy contingent of Maharashtra police stood guard to prevent them from crossing the border.
The police told reporters in Dharmabad that they had resorted to the lathi-charge after TDP activists provoked them by indulging in stone-pelting in which three policemen were injured.
Four journalists too were injured in the incident. Following the incident, TDP workers staged a rasta roko at Bidrelli village protesting the lathi-charge.
Ban orders
In view of the tense situation in villages bordering Maharashtra over the Babli issue, ban orders under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed in Mudhole constituency by the Adilabad police.
Talking to The Hindu over phone from Dharmabad, senior TDP MLA R. Chandrasekhar Reddy said that Mr. Naidu and others would observe fast on Monday in support of the bandh in A.P. over the Babli issue. They spent the day discussing the issue of water resources and inter-State disputes.
He said they were finding it difficult staying in one hall having no basic amenities. There was only one toilet for the 90 MPs, legislators and other leaders.
Power went off frequently for prolonged periods during the last two days. With no one to clean the hall, two women legislators took up the job.
Rosaiah slams police
In a statement issued here, Chief Minister K. Rosaiah condemned the high-handedness of the Maharashtra police and local people on the border against journalists from A.P., who went to report the incident. It was not proper to attack and obstruct journalists from discharging their duties, he said.
Meanwhile, activists of the Babli Bandhara Kriti Samithi led by Nanded MP Bhaskar Rao Patil Khatgaonkar and MLAs Vasantrao Chavan and Omprakash Pokarna took out a massive procession and burnt an effigy of Mr. Naidu in Dharmabad.
