Will Reinstall Statues: CM

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday joined issue with the opposition, and strongly condemned the Tank Bund violence assuring the members that the government will install back the felled statues.

Kiran Kumar Reddy told the Assembly that as many as 65 persons were already arrested in this connection. Stating that the police observed restraint while dealing with the agitators, the Chief Minister admitted that a few mistakes were also committed.

He pointed out that the police were given orders to observe restraint and not use even rubber bullets.

Kiran Kumar Reddy defended the police and pointed out that the permission for the 'Million March' was denied on the grounds that 'pressure' could be avoided. It was only due to police vigil and pre-emptive arrests that the proposed 'million' could not reach the Tank Bund on Thursday, he pointed out.

Stated that it was the responsibility of all to maintain law and order, the Chief Minister assured that those found guilty will not be spared.

Earlier in the first hour, the state Assembly was adjourned twice as Telugu Desam Party members from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions vociferously denounced the vandalism by the agitators on Thursday, and held the government responsible for the desecration of the statues of eminent Telugu personalities.

Congress members from these regions also vehemently condemned the incident. They sported black badges to register their protest.

Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar also expressed his anguish over the incident on the Tank Bund.

In all, 17 of the statues installed during the reign of former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao, were destroyed yesterday.

Giving a statement on the issue, Home Minister P Sabitha Reddy told the House that apart from the damage to the statues, a vehicle of the ACP and that of a television channel were torched in the violence that erupted on Tank Bund.

A few cameras of lensmen and television channels were also not spared.

8 police men were injured, and several journalists were also attacked.

Prior to the Home Minister's statement, demanding a unanimous resolution to condemn the unfortunate incidents, TDP MLA Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu cornered the government for the felling of the idols which took the vandals 4 to 5 hours.

"What did the police do when the statues of eminent leaders who brought laurels to the state and country were being pulled down?" Muddukrishnama Naidu asked. He also demanded that the government apologize to the nation for the incident.

Muddukrishnama Naidu also sought a debate on the rationale behind the demolition.

The current situation arose due to the wrong policies of the government, said CPI MLA Sambhasiva Rao.

Earlier, as soon as the House assembled, members from Seemandhra insisted on a discussion on the Tank Bund 'destruction'. The desecration and destruction of statues of Telugu luminaries caused a furore in the Assembly as irate TDP members stormed the Speaker's podium demanding an immediate discussion on the issue.

"We all feel it's an assault on Telugu pride. We should strongly condemn such incidents unitedly," said Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar, and asked the enraged members to let the listed business be transacted.

But the protests continued and the Chair was forced to adjourn the House for a short break. When the House reassembled, same scene was repeated with Seemandhra legislators protesting against the Tank Bund vandalism.

Legislative Affairs Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu stated that the government also condemned the destruction of statues of Telugu legends.

However, the angry members remained unrelenting. Manohar assured the members that the Home Minister would make a statement later after the scheduled Question Hour. Even that did not seem to have any effect on the protesting members.

Manohar asked the Floor Leaders to meet him in his chambers on the conduct of the House, and adjourned for another break.

Even as the TDP members from Seemandhra protested against the vandalism, Telangana MLA Nagam Janardhan Reddy, on the other hand, opposed his colleagues' protests saying that a debate on the arrests of agitators stood priority over the attack on the statues.

Janardhan Reddy's protest pushed the TDP into a predicament over its chief N Chandrababu Naidu's 'two eyes' policy. TDP legislators from Telangana region boycotted the sessions.

Courtesy: INN