Opposition Vows To Continue Stir For Dharna Chowk

Dubbing Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao as a "dictator", the state's opposition leaders today declared they would continue their stir till Dharna Chowk at Indira Park was revived.

The leaders of Congress, TDP, BJP and the Left parties staged a silent deeksha at Gun Park today demanding that the state government revive Dharna Chowk. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Telangana TDP chief L Ramana, BJP MLA N V V S Prabhakar, TJAC chairman M Kodandaram and the Left parties' leaders participated in the deeksha.

Speaking on the occasion, Reddy alleged that every section of the people in the state was unhappy with the rule of TRS. The Khammam mirchi farmers' issue was clearly reflecting the nature of the rule of TRS, he said. "The TRS government is destroying the rights of the people of the state. The people expected that there would be more freedom and democracy in the newly formed state, but the situation is different," he said.

Terming Dharna Chowk as the voice of the people, L Ramana alleged that it was atrocious on the part of the TRS government to shift it from Indira Park. An all-party team would take up a Chalo Dharna Chowk agitation on May 15 morning, he announced. The TRS government would be drowned under the movement led by Kodandaram, he warned.

Kodandaram asked the state government not to violate the rights provided by the Constitution. "If there is no Dharna Chowk, it will not be called a democratic country," he opined. He warned the TRS government that the entire city would transform into Dharna Chowk in case the government failed to withdraw its decision on the protest venue. He asked the people to reach Dharna Chowk through their own means on May 15.

CPM state secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram said that it was not possible for the state government to suppress the opposition parties continuously. The people would not tolerate it anymore, he warned, and said that the fall of KCR would be guaranteed if he continued with his autocratic attitude. He said that CPM would participate in the May 15 Chalo Dharna Chowk program.