Union Minister falls while being gheraoed

By Our Special Correspondent

VIJAYAWADA, FEB. 5. The Union Minister, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, slipped and fell down in the railway station here today where CPI-M workers gheraoed him demanding supply of rice at Rs. 3 a kg to all poor people under the Antyodaya scheme leading to tension.

When Mr. Naidu came to the platform number seven to board Krishna Express on his way to Khammam, about 200 workers of the CPI-M, led by Mr. V Umamaheswara Rao, city secretary, Mr. Ch Babu Rao, corporator and Mr. Donepudi Kasinath, former corporator, encountered him and submitted a memorandum demanding the rice supply.

Mr. Naidu went through the memorandum and assured the workers that he would consider their demands.

But the workers insisted that he should respond to their demands immediately. ``Do you want me to respond to your demands on the road,'' he retorted, and tried to find his way through the crowd.

The workers then raised slogans such as ``Venkaiah Naidu down down,'' ``Give rice to all poor'' etc. and did not allow him to leave the place leading to a stampede.

Mr. Sreenivasa Raju, city president of the BJP, pulled back the Minister in an attempt to find a way for him from behind.

Mr. Naidu then slipped and fell down. An escorting police official helped him come back to his feet again.

An angry Naidu blamed the CPI-M for resorting to rowdyism. He said he would not be cowed down by such coercive tactics. ``I have faced such situations several times during my 20 years of political career.''

BJP workers raised counterslogans and clashed with CPI-M workers leading to a stampede. A woman activist of CPI-M, Kondamma, who was caught in the melee, fell unconscious.

Meanwhile, the train started moving and a BJP worker rushed and pulled the chain bringing it to a halt. CPI-M workers then allowed the Minister to go.

Mr. Naidu got onto a nearby mound and looking into the cameras of electronic media, criticised the coercive tactics of CPI-M before rushing to catch the train.

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Section  : Southern States
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