Date:23/09/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/09/23/stories/2004092305810500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

People's War meet ends abruptly

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, SEPT. 22. The emissary of People's War, Varavara Rao, has accused the police of conspiring to scuttle the ongoing peace process by creating obstacles in the commemorative meetings being held in different parts of the State.

Mr. Varavara Rao and another PW emissary, Kalyan Rao, unveiled a pylon at Madigubba village of Atmakur mandal in the district on Wednesday, constructed in the memory of PW naxalite, Obulesu alias Kumar, who was killed in Telangana last year in an alleged fake encounter by the police, based on the information given by a covert.

`Cop' present

The meeting ended abruptly when Kalyana Rao had just begun his speech and was criticising the Congress Government and the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, on their attitude towards the peace process, as the PW sympathisers caught a police constable in mufty, who was moving around and was noting down the numbers of vehicles parked there.

The constable was taken to Mr. Varavara Rao and on being asked he reportedly said that he was working in the SP's office and the SP had sent him to collect information at the meeting. Mr. Varavara Rao claimed that he had saved the constable from an attack by a section of the crowd and sent him away.

It had happened in Rayachoti and now at Madigubba, Mr. Varavara Rao said. The police or their supporters had killed Dasarth in Rayachoti in Cuddapah district as he had participated actively in the construction of a memorial pylon there, he alleged.

While the PW was letting off even coverts with a view to ensuring congenial atmosphere for the talks process, the police or the Government (through the police) was bent upon scuttling the peace process as part of their conspiracy, he said. He stated that they knew about the police presence at the meeting but did not announce it as the crowd would panic.

Meanwhile, a section of the crowd at the meeting, including a few persons who had covered their faces half, beat the police constable, later identified as Shaik Sha Vali, badly. He was reportedly kicked, stoned, dragged and even hit with boulders. The constable was let off with severe injuries and torn clothes.