Congress Dharna At Prakasam Barrage Over TS Projects

There was mild tension at the "mahadharna" launched by the Congress in Vijayawada in protest against what it alleged were "illegal irrigation projects by the Telangana government".

Police prevented Congress activists from proceeding towards the Prakasam Barrage where the mahadharna was being organized, and that led to the police and the Congress workers indulging in verbal arguments. The Congress workers raised anti-police and anti-AP-government slogans, including "Chandrababu down down". Later, the police took some Congress activists into preventive custody.

APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy, Devineni Avinash, Devineni Nehru, Killi Kriparani, Pallam Raju and K V P Ramachandra Rao (KVP) and others participated in the mahadharna. Condemning the arrest of the Congress workers, they questioned the act of the police and said that the government should use its power against the Telangana government which was constructing illegal lift irrigation projects.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajya Sabha member KVP alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched on Special Status to Andhra Pradesh. He also said that the AP government was mysteriously not raising any objection when Telangana was indulging in constructing "illegal" projects upstream.

Devineni Nehru alleged that by constructing the Palamuru and Dindi projects, the Telangana government wanted to prevent water from flowing into Andhra Pradesh. Condemning the AP government for not raising its voice against these "illegal" projects, Nehru said, "Some 60 lakh acres of farmland will be useless in the future if we are not able to prevent the construction of these illegal projects in Telangana."

Taking a dig at Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao for giving warnings to AP, Nehru said, "If we decide to organize a massive dharna, Harish Rao will not be able to tour any district in his own Telangana."

At least now Chandrababu Naidu should open his eyes and oppose the illegal projects being constructed by the Telangana government, Nehru said, adding that the protest programs would be intensified soon.