Furore over violence during panchayat polls

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 17. There was a furore in the Assembly on Monday with a Congress member, Mr. N. Raghuveera Reddy, holding the Chief Minister and the Home Minister ``solely responsible'' for the violence witnessed in the State in connection with the recent Panchayat Raj elections.

Congress members were on their feet thrice backing their colleague who continued to reel out figures substantiating his charge despite a repeated request by the Chair to conclude while the treasury benches strongly detested his contention. Dr. M. V. Krishna Rao, Panel Speaker, adjourned the House for the day even as the two rival parties agreed to have a reply from the Home Minister on the plea that further discussion on the issue might drag on, running into the evening.

Mr. N. Raghuveera Reddy made a blistering attack on the Telugu Desam for resorting to violence against his partymen at different places before, during and after the elections with the single- point agenda of winning elections by ``hook or crook''. He cited several ``instances'' like the murder of Bala Satish at Yadiki in Anantapur district after his poll victory, harassment of weavers at Cherlapalli in Puttaparthi mandal in the same district resulting in their fleeing the village and the kidnap of an ZPTC member, Mr. K. Bhaskar for bagging the Ranga Reddy ZP.

The Congress member demanded a judicial probe into the violence, ex-gratia of Rs.1 lakh to the families whose breadwinners were killed and Rs. 5 lakhs to those of the deceased Congress functionaries and prosecution of identified offenders belonging to the Telugu Desam.

Mr. Reddy alleged that Telugu Desam leaders/followers intimidated with threats or victimised SCs, STs, BC and minorities who continued to be loyal to the Congress.

The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, was absent from the House, being away in Vuyyuru campaigning for the byelections there. The Home Minister dismissed the charges as devoid of any seriousness and likening the Congress member to a singer beating the ``tabla'' when he was supposed to sing a song.

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Section  : Southern States
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