Chalo Tank Bund A Grand Success: Opposition

Telangana Jana Samiti president M Kodandaram on Saturday said that the Chalo Tank Bund program on Saturday had turned out to be a grand success.

Addressing media persons after the completion of the program, Kodandaram said that thousands of people and employees of the TSRTC took part in the agitation despite restrictions imposed by the city police to prevent them from reaching Tank Bund. He also alleged that the police had beaten up the women and workers in a merciless manner.

However, the restrictions by the police and their assaults didn't have any impact, he claimed.

BJP leader and former minister D K Aruna, who was put under house arrest by the police today at her Jubilee Hills residence to prevent her from joining the protest, also termed the protest a huge success.

Aruna lashed out at Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for his "dictatorial" rule and using police force against the striking RTC workers. The TRS government was using police force as it was afraid of a revolt, she said, adding that the arrests would not prevent more Million March-like protests.

CPI Telangana Secretary and former MLA Chada Venkat Reddy too criticized the police actions. He slammed Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for trying to brutally suppress the Million March / Chalo Tank Bund protest, and for the arrests of various leaders.

The arrests were tantamount to an unannounced emergency in the State, he said, and demanded that the government to hold talks to end the RTC strike immediately following the court "orders".