Former Road Transport Corporation Chairman Gone Prakash Rao was forced to beat a hasty retreat from the district Press Club on Saturday when Telangana Rashtra Samithi activists obstructed him and warned him to leave.
The TRS activists were objecting to the proposed press meet scheduled to be held at the Press Club by Gone, who they alleged was a 'betrayer' of the separate Telangana statehood agitation.
Gone initially refused to leave without expressing his freedom of speech, but as the slogan-shouting increased to a crescendo, better sense prevailed. He was escorted from the spot by a contingent of police personnel, who feared that Gone's initial stubbornness may have roused the protestors' ire.
The former RTC chairman, undaunted by the protest, spoke to media persons later and claimed that he was ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of Telangana. He also challenged TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao to state whether he is willing to lay down his and his family's lives for the separate state.
Gone wondered if obstructing leaders or ministers would help the formation of a Telangana state in any way.
He also lashed out at the TRS chief by pointing out that he had, in 2004, called AICC president Sonia Gandhi a devil, but has now changed his tune and was describing her as an 'angel'.