Hyderabad, July 20 (IANS) Protests by the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) over the alleged caning of their leaders by Maharashtra police rocked Andhra Pradesh Tuesday.
TDP activists took to the streets in Hyderabad and elsewhere in the state, staging road and rail blockades and burning effigies of Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan.
TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and 75 other leaders have been arrested and sent to judicial custody in Nanded for their agitation against construction of the Babli dam by Maharashtra, which they claim will curtail Andhra Pradesh’s share of river waters.
Police arrested former Hyderabad mayor T. Krishna Reddy and other TDP leaders when they tried to stop the convoy of union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee who arrived here to address a meeting of chief ministers of southern states.
As word spread about some TDP leaders sustaining injuries in caning by police at Dharmabad in Nanded district of Maharashtra, protestors came out on the streets denouncing the Maharashtra government for ‘ill treatment’ of their party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and other leaders.
Protesters attacked Congress MP V. Hanumantha Rao’s convoy at Raghunathapally in Warangal district. They threw eggs at the Rajya Sabha member’s vehicle. He was in Warangal to campaign for coming by-elections.
Police arrested dozens of TDP leaders and workers in various districts. Reports of attacks on buses, government property and offices of the ruling Congress party were received from different parts of the state.
Telugu film actor and former MP Mohan Babu took out a rally along with students to protest against the Maharashtra government.
In Guntur, protesters ransacked an office of the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). In Karimnagar, protesters attacked the Congress party office and staged demonstrations at several places.
Chief Minister K. Rosaiah has condemned the police caning of TDP leaders but appealed to the opposition party supporters not to attack public property.
Health Minister P. Satyanarayana said the incident had hurt the self respect of Telugu people. He told reporters that a medical team was sent to Dharmabad, where Naidu and other TDP leaders are.
However, Minister for Irrigation P. Lakshmaiah alleged that TDP leaders were resorting to political blackmail.
The Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) besides the two Communist parties expressed solidarity with TDP leaders fighting on the Babli issue. PRP chief K. Chiranjeevi said his party would support any party fighting to protect the state’s interests.
