Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Cong. leader seeks to court arrest

By Our Staff Reporter

CUDDAPAH OCT. 7. Hundreds of Congress activists led by the former Minister and APCC Secretary, D.L. Ravindra Reddy, laid siege to the Khajipet police station for over six hours from 9 a.m. on Monday offering to court arrest. They were protesting against booking of a case against Ravindra Reddy and 14 others for staging a rasta roko at Khajipet on October 2 demanding declaration of the mandal as drought-affected.

As tension gripped Khajipet town, Mr. Ravindra Reddy asked police officials to explain the rationale behind booking a case only against him and 14 others when hundreds of people participated in the rasta roko to bring the plight of farmers to public notice. A wordy duel ensued between Mr. Ravindra Reddy and police officials when he charged the police with being vindictive and the protesters raised slogans against the ruling party and the SP.

Later speaking to newsmen at Khajipet, the former Minister charged the police with acting as `stooges of the ruling party' and threatened to launch an intensive agitation if the police attempted to suppress justified agitations in the farmers' interest. While scores of farmers and leaders staged protests all over the district since August 15, including a massive road blockade on the national highway by all parties demanding release of Srisailam water to KC Canal and a day-long bandh at Simhadripuram, no cases were booked, he said.

He alleged that cases had been booked only in Khajipet police station during the last 45 days despite a spate of protests all over the district. Alleging that he and his followers had been singled out, he demanded that the police arrest hundreds of persons who converged on the police station. They were prepared to court arrest on the directions of the party leaders and no one would seek bail, he said.

The Cuddapah Zilla Parishad Chairman, K. Suresh Babu, Proddatur MLA, N. Varadarajulu Reddy, District Congress Committee President, Shaik Hussain, and several leaders reached Khajipet and expressed solidarity with Mr. Ravindra Reddy. The Additional SP, P. Muniswamy, additional forces of circle inspectors, sub-inspectors and a platoon of Armed Reserve Police rushed to the place and monitored the situation.

The Superintendent of Police, Abhilasha Bisht, went to Khajipet later in the afternoon and held discussions with the Proddatur MLA, ZP chairman, DCC president and Ravindra Reddy. She directed them to release Mr. Ravindra Reddy and 14 others on a personal surety of Rs. 25,000 each, leading to the protest being called off.

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