Date:07/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/07/stories/2006040706340600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra MP, activists barred from visiting Babli site

Staff Reporter

Madhu Goud Yaskhi, others attacked by Nanded farmers

BABLI (Maharashtra): Madhu Goud Yaskhi, MP of Nizamabad in Andhra Pradesh), was prevented from proceeding to the Babli project site and his followers were attacked by farmers and villagers in Dharmabad taluq in Nanded district of Maharashtra on Thursday evening.

Senior Congress minority leader Sayyad Ahmad Zeenath was hit by a stone and another activist, Khilla Gangadhar, was beaten up by the irate mob, which gathered at the Babli village outskirts to block the MP and his followers and mediapersons.

The MP and the district Congress committee president Gadugu Gangadhar were jostled. The mob tried to attack mediapersons and snatch cameras and videocameras from photographers when the latter were taking pictures and videotaping the incident.

Trouble began when the MP and the DCC president, accompanied by a large contingent of mediapersons, went to the village to observe the position at the project site in the wake of the decision taken to stop construction of the project at the Chief Ministers' meeting held in New Delhi a couple of days ago.

The villagers, on prior information, gathered in good strength and blocked the road leading to the project site with cement pipes and two-wheelers. Picking up a heated argument with the MP, they contended that the MP should not have come to see the project when a technical committee was constituted by the Centre on the construction.

Bapu Rao Kamalakar, leader of the Babli Bandh Bachao Samithi, who allegedly misbehaved with the visitors, said: "We will prevent anyone, even the Chief Minister, from going to the project site." Dharmabad taluq Congress president Varni Nagabushanam said: "We do not allow anyone to interfere in the construction of the project."

The police led by Chandrakanth, Inspector of Police, brought the situation under control by pacifying the irate villagers. They stood guard to Mr. Madhu and Mr. Gangadhar. The police escorted the visiting leaders from Nizamabad for a distance on their return.

Meanwhile, sources in the village said that construction work was continuing at the project site. However, Inspector of Police Chandrakanth said work had been stopped on the direction of the District Magistrate.