The Telangana Rashtra Samiti slammed the State government for supporting YSR Congress chief Ms Vijayamma’s ‘political tour’ of Sircilla to scuttle the Telangana movement. Scores of T-activists were arrested after police barged into the party office at Banjara Hills on Monday. TRS MP Ms Vijaya Shanti described the YSR Cong-ress as a “goonda party” and said that if it came to power they would shoot down anyone who raised the ‘Telangana issue’.
TRS MLAs Etala Rajender, Jupally Krishna Rao, Koppula Eshwar, Ch. Ramesh, Ravinder Reddy, and party leaders Dr Shravan, Prof. Srinivas Reddy and Laxma Reddy staged a dharna in front of the CMO at the Secretariat in protest against Monday’s incidents, and later met Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to hand over a memorandum. Describing police behaviour on Monday as “murder of democracy”, they demanded stringent action against police officials who attacked the TRS office and condemned the arrest of party MLAs, leaders and activists in view of Ms Vijayamma’s visit to Sircilla. Arrested TRS MLAs K.T. Rama Rao, T. Harish Rao and others lashed out at the government for going overboard to support Ms Vijayamma’s deeksha at Sircilla.
“The Congress and YSR Congress are one and the same. Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy provided security cover to YSR leaders and ensured arrest of TRS activists as a goodwill gesture to the YSR Congress in lieu of the latter’s support in the Presidential elections,” Mr Rama Rao alleged. “Why should the police arrest me for the visit of Pulivendula MLA Ms Vijayamma? When KCR undertook deeksha, he was arrested, why not Ms Vijayamma?” he asked. “This kind of high-handed behaviour was not seen even during British rule. We demand stern action against all officials who had beaten up innocent students mercilessly at Telangana Bhavan”, the memorandum said. The TRS alleged that the government was trying to provoke T-activists who were conducting a peaceful Telangana agitation which could lead to violence.