The Hindu : Cong. men clash at Karimnagar meet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Cong. men clash at Karimnagar meet

By Our Staff Reporter

KARIMNAGAR JAN. 9. Infighting among Karimnagar district Congress leaders took a turn for the worse today with the members and the `rebel' groups resorting to fisticuffs during the District Congress Committee general body meeting here.

The Press club, which was the venue for the meeting, turned into a battle ground with both groups resorting to brickbats with chairs. DCC members chased away the `disgruntled elements' of the party. Press Club windowpanes and plants were damaged and several Congress leaders sustained injuries in the melee which continued for about an hour. The meeting was organised by the DCC president and Manthani legislator, D. Sridhar, and the PCC secretary and Buggaram legislator, J. Ratnakar Rao. When the meeting began supporters of the former DCC president, K. Mruthyunjayam, tried to gatecrash into the hall. However, DCC volunteers stopped the entry of non-members, and asked them to show their identity cards.

There was a verbal duel between the volunteers -- Ama Anand and Anjan Kumar -- and the non-members -- M. Jaipal and Nagesh Mudiraj -- and others. The rebels demanded the presence of the DCC president as they wanted to talk to him. But, the volunteers opposed their entry stating that they had set fire to the effigy of the PCC president, M. Satyanarayana Rao. In the meantime, a rebel rushed into the hall and climbed over the dais and grabbed the mike. The DCC official spokesperson, Akarapu Bhaskar Reddy, prevented him from speaking and hit him. Later, others pounced on him and thrashed him before he was dragged out of the hall.

Then Congress leaders came down heavily on the former DCC president and ZPTC member, K. Mruthyunjayam, who was present at the meeting. The leaders said that when he (Mruthyunjayam) was the DCC president for seven years "we had not created any trouble and extended all cooperation for strengthening the party.

Now after losing the party post, you have formed rebel groups and created hurdles for the party.''

The DCC members chased away the former DCC president from the meeting hall.

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