Padayatra Against Vandalism In State

Intellectuals from various fields on Sunday took out a 'padayatra' on Tank Bund to express their angst against the desecration and demolition of the statues of renowned Telugu personalities by the pro-Telangana activists during the Million March on March 10th.

The intellectuals, joined by political leaders, demanded that the state government arrest those responsible for the vandalism immediately.

They also asked the government to make efforts for reinstalling the statues immediately, and bid that such reprehensible acts should not be repeated in the future.

They also questioned the rationale behind the destruction of the statues of eminent Telugu personalities who had worked to take the traditions and culture of the Telugu people across the globe.

Earlier, the protesters staged a dharna and a silent march in front of the Pothana statue under the aegis of 'Telugu Language and Culture Protection Samithi' and the 'Jana Vignana Vedike'.

The intellectuals said, "We are insulting our own culture and traditions by damaging the statues of great Telugu personalities. These luminaries had worked for the integration of Telugu people."

Nearly 17 statues out of the 33, installed in the 1980s, were damaged during the Million March, which was organized by Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TPJAC) on the Tank Bund to press for the introduction of a separate Telangana bill in Parliament.

Secunderabad Congress MP Anjan Kumar Yadav, MLA Vishnu, MLC Nannapuneni Rajakumari, G Srinivas and other prominent personalities from various fields participated in the padayatra.

Courtesy: INN