The seat of the state government's functioning, the Secretariat, came under attack by TDP leaders on Friday, who turned violent, with the party legislators and cadre almost blocking the entry points and disrupting traffic, as part of the 'Chalo Assembly' program to press for their demands for a better package to distressed farmers.
Following their agitation, the traffic came to a standstill on the main roads that linked to the state Secretariat.
Even as the state government stood its grounds, bluntly refusing to concede to the demands of the agitating TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, who remained firm on
continuing his hunger strike in the ICU of NIMS, the party legislators courted arrest after they tried to intrude into the Secretariat. They were later taken to Gandhinagar police station.
TDP MLAs, party legislators and activists, who, under the leadership of Payyavula Keshav, tried to gain entry into the Secretariat, were amongst the arrested. When they were prevented from entering, the TDP men picked up an argument with the police, but in vain.
Party MLA Yerrabelli Dayakar Rao and MP Venugopal Reddy, who squatted at the entrance of the 'C' Block inside the Secretariat, were also arrested by the police.
The TDP leaders launched the trenchant attack against the Kiran Kumar Reddy government for "ignoring the farmers' problems" despite the opposition leaders' joint appeal to announce a revised package.
They protested that the chief minister had no right to continue in office, by raising anti-government slogans.
As the opposition resolved to take forward their movement, the police locked the main gates well in advance, fearing collapse of the government systems. The agitators said it was a shame on the part of the chief minister and the ministers to hide and continue their business.
The claims of the ruling Congress that
they were the real saviours of the farmers came under heavy attack. In spite of capturing the people's mandate, the ruling Congress did not fulfil their obligations particularly in respect of the farmers, who incurred heavy losses due to heavy floods, the TDP leaders alleged.
The issue of farmers' suicides was also taken up at the dharna here.
Usage of force on the TDP leaders by the police, who the protestors alleged to be pawns in the hands of the government, and the subsequent arrest of TDP members drew much resentment.
Courtesy: INN