Ponnala's Fracture Unites Telangana Congress

The Telangana Congress leaders strongly condemned the "excesses" by the city police which caused a fracture in TPCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah's left hand during the party's attempt to take out a rally on Saturday from Gandhi Bhavan to Raj Bhavan in protest against the proposed shifting of the Telangana Secretariat.

Addressing the party workers at the Goshamahal Police Stadium where they were taken after being arrested, TPCC Vice-President Mohammed Ali Shabbir alleged that the TRS government had used the police force to foil a peaceful rally which was aimed at opposing the shifting of the Chest Hospital from Erragadda.

He accused Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao of acting like a dictator who wanted to suppress the opposition using force. He announced that the Congress party would only intensify its agitation.

In protest against the assault on Ponnala, he said that the Congress workers would hold demonstrations on Sunday across Telangana.

He said that the Congress would not remain silent till the government withdrew the GO on the shifting of the Chest & TB Hospital.

Greater Hyderabad Congress president Danam Nagender accused the police officials of behaving like the TRS workers.

He said that this was just the beginning of agitations, and that the TRS government would witness many more severe protests in the near future.

He also informed that the Congress would lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against the use of force against Ponnala Lakshmaiah.

Former MLA Marri Sashidhar Reddy, who hit the headlines over his tussle with Danam Nagender, also participated in the protest. He advised the TRS government not to provoke the sentiments of the common people acting by in a dictatorial manner.

Former MLA of Jubilee Hills P Vishnuvardhan Reddy, former MPs M Anjan Kumar Yadav, Madhu Yashki Goud and Rajaiah, former Mayor Banda Karthika Chandra Reddy, and former Deputy Mayor Rajkumar were among those who condemned the use of force by the police to take Ponnala into preventive custody.

TPCC Working President Uttam Kumar Reddy, MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy and other senior leaders also participated in the protest. (INN)