Cong. calls off protest at Srikakulam

By Our Staff Reporter

SRIKAKULAM, AUG.12. The Congress protest at the Two Town Police Station here demanding a thorough probe into the killing of the Etcherla mandal vice-president and action against those responsible for yesterday's police lathicharge ended this afternoon with the Superintendent of Police, Mr. P. V. Sunil Kumar, visiting the camp and accepting a memorandum from the AP Congress Committee president, Mr. M. Satyanarayana Rao. The SP said he would look into the issues raised by the Congress leaders. The Congress leaders' bid to stage a dharna was foiled by a lathicharge yesterday and they were arrested.

After they were let off, the leaders shifted their protest to the road opposite the police station and waited for the PCC president to arrive.

After calling off the protest following the SP's visit, Mr. Satyanarayana Rao told a press conference at the DCC office that the SP expressed his anguish at the events and promised that the matter would be enquired into. He said he had faith in the SP's word. The SP also told him that the Polinaidu murder case, into which the Congress has been demanding a thorough enquiry, was not closed and investigation would continue, Mr. Satyanarayana Rao said. He said the SP had risen to the occasion. Mr. Satyanarayana Rao also congratulated partymen for the firm protest taken up and said it augured well for the party in the district. The leaders also rose as one belying talk of disunity in the party. He also congratulated the AICC secretary, Mr. V. Hanumantha Rao, and other leaders for leading workers from the front and braving the lathis.

Meanwhile, a press release from the SP's office said the SP had agreed to visit the Congress camp after discussing the issue with Mr. Botsa Satyanarayana, Bobbili MP, and Mr Dharmana Prasada Rao, MLA. He promised a thorough probe into the killing. He would also enquire into some of the aspects that came to his notice with regard to yesterday's incidents.

Earlier, addressing leaders and partymen at the Congress camp, Mr Satyanarayana Rao condemned the lathicharge. He said IAS and IPS officers should act impartially and implement the rule of law. The Bobbili MP said the SP accepted to take the representation yesterday but did not keep his word and hence was responsible for the turn of events. Mr. Hanumantha Rao, Mr. Dharmana Prasada Rao, MLA, Mr. Sabbam Hari, former Mayor of Visakhapatnam, DCC president, Mr. G. Haribabu Naidu, former MLC, Mr. G Narasmiha Rao, also denounced the police action.

Our Visakhapatnam Staff Reporter writes:

The Home Minister, Mr.T. Devender Goud, has ordered the DIG, Visakhapatnam Range, to probe into the circumstances that led to the lathicharge. The Home Minister told reporters at a press conference this morning that he was still ascertaining facts from the police and that from whatever he could gather, he understood that the leaders had not taken permission for the dharna, hence to clear the road lathicharge was resorted to.

Terming it a minor incident, he said that such ``aberrations'' should be settled at the local level and did not believe in centralised control in the Police department, with the Home Minister being briefed about every minor incident. He refused to comment on it further till he received the inquiry report from the DIG.

The Government was of the opinion that the Police Manual needed to be redefined and before introducing the new Police Act bill in the Assembly, a widespread discussion on it should take place, he said.

The new Police Act Bill would not be introduced in the monsoon session of the Assembly and the opinion of all Opposition parties would be taken before tabling it in the House, said Mr. Goud. He said the Government did not push through the bill in this session just because it had numbers in its favour.

Setting no time-frame for the opinion-gathering exercise on the draft bill, he said that effort was being made to differentiate between regular policing and investigation. The investigation process was hit in the State due to pre-occupation of police personnel with the routine policing job, hence the investigation wing would be strengthened.

Stressing the need for improving accountability among police personnel at all levels, he sought to improve the working conditions of personnel at the lowest level by providing them with all basic facilities.

Lamenting on the lack of training facilities, he said to meet the needs, it was opening training facilities at all district headquarters. Crimes committed in major town and cities needed special attention and would be dealt with under a separate category, he added.

On extremist activities, he said that after lying low for a long time the naxalites had changed their approach now and the police were also making suitable changes in their strategies to tackle these elements.

He hoped that the panchayat polls would be conducted smoothly and that people had never cared for boycott call from naxalites during any election. The cooperation with police personnel of neighbouring States had to improve drastically, he pointed out.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Next     : One-way traffic in place of total
           pedestrianisation favoured