Date:25/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/25/stories/2007082553660600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Students assault former APSRTC chief

HYDERABAD: The war of words between former APSRTC chairman Gone Prakash Rao and Congress MP from Nizamabad Madhu Yaskhi Goud took an ugly turn when some students of Osmania University assaulted the former in the midst of a press conference here on Friday.

The former MLA had invited the media to the Fateh Maidan Club in an attempt to substantiate his allegations about the passports held by his party MP.

He announced that he would release certain documents to back his charges.

Even as Mr. Prakash Rao was speaking, a youth barged into the conference hall, caught hold of his collar and dragged him away before being joined by others claiming themselves to be Backward Class students.

As Mr. Rao grappled with the first youth, former NSUI State president Mahesh Kumar Goud and the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee Secretary G. Niranjan, came to his rescue and pinned the assailant to the ground. Punches were thrown in the ensuing melee in which some students threw vermillion on Mr. Prakash Rao.

On information, police rushed to the spot and whisked away the students to the Saifabad police station. As Mr. Prakash Rao refused to file a complaint against the attackers, the police registered a suo motu case based on the video footage telecast by news channels.

They registered a case against V. Rama Rao and others under sections 147 (rioting), 341 (wrongful restraint) 323 (assault) of IPC and also against Mr. Prakash Rao on the youth’s complaint.

Blaming Mr. Mudhu Yashki for engineering the attack, the ex-APSRTC chief vowed to continue his tirade against the MP.

On the other hand, the students accused Mr. Prakash Rao of maligning Mr. Madhu Yaskhi, a Backward Class MP, who was openly raising issues concerning Telangana.

When contacted, the MP, now in New Delhi, said that Mr. Prakash Rao was frequently levelling false accusations against him to tarnish his image.

He denied the charge that he had instigated the attack by the students.