Date:15/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/15/stories/2006071514560500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Lok Satta decries police action on students

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: National coordinator of Lok Satta Jayaprakash Narayan at a press conference on Thursday has condemned police lathi charge and the "brutal manner" in which police officials had treated students protesting peacefully against the hike in fees of engineering and other courses on Tuesday.

"The Government is duty-bound to ensure that every student has access to higher education," he said, underlining the need to erase disparities and imbalances in the education system. He had also cautioned against viewing such agitations as mere law and order problems. In fact they should be seen as something more important, he said.

On being drawn to the issue of Lok Satta party scheduled launch on October 2 this year as had been reported in the media some time ago, state campaign coordinator D.V.V.S. Varma said it would be a `good sign' if they could launch the party on such an auspicious day. According to Mr. Narayan people are fed up with the present political system and are in search of a new political school of thought.

In view of this, the Lok Satta has been putting together an `action plan', placing `organisers' in every district to prove its commitment to the people.