Telangana activists throw eggs, chappals at ministers’ convoys
By IANSTuesday, January 25, 2011
HYDERABAD - Pro-Telangana activists threw rotten eggs and footwear at convoys of ministers and parliamentarians of the ruling Congress party who were participating in a government functions to distribute benefits under various welfare schemes and to redress public grievances in the region.
Demanding that a bill for a separate state of Telangana be tabled in parliament’s budget session, the activists disrupted the “Racchabanda” (open forum) programme, launched across Andhra Pradesh Monday, for the second day Tuesday.
Alleging that the programme is aimed at diluting the movement for the separate state, leaders and workers of the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) tried to prevent ministers, members of parliament, state legislators, other public representatives and officials from attending it.
For the second day, activists of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other constituents of JAC staged agitations in most of the towns and villages across all 10 districts of Telangana.
Raising slogans of “Jai Telangana”, the protesters brandished footwear at Panchayat Raj Minister K.Jana Reddy during the programme at Veligunda in Nalgonda district. Police had to baton charge the mob and arrest some protesters as they threw eggs, footwear and other missiles at the convoy.
JAC convenor M.Kodandaram said the incident was a warning to the Congress leaders who were provoking people by participating in the programme.
Another minister, D.K.Aruna, too had to face the wrath of the protesters in Mahabubnagar district. Protesters stopped her convoy at Gadwal and demanded that the government should not conduct any programme till the formation of a separate state.
The convoy of Minister for Tribal Welfare Basvaraj Saraiah had Monday come under attack from TRS activists, who too threw eggs and stones at it.
A section of Congress MPs is boycotting the programme of their own party government, saying people of Telangana only want separate state.
