Date:02/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/02/stories/2008110254210400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

TRS activists gherao Labour Minister

Staff Reporter

-Photo: G. Sanjeev Reddy

Safe haven: Labour Minister G. Vinod being led away by policemen from protesting TRS activists in Adilabad on Saturday.

ADILABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) activists who were on a protest gheraoed Labour Minister G. Vinod at two places on Saturday while he was on his way to participate in the Andhra Pradesh State formation day celebrations at the police parade ground here. Consequently, the Minister had to walk the distance from the entrance of the parade ground to the dais from where he delivered his address.

NTP joins

TRS workers led by leaders Ch. Suhasini Reddy and Bharat Waghmare stopped the Minister’s vehicle first near the filter beds and later at the gate of the parade ground demanding separate Telangana State and condemning the silence of the Congress party on the issue of separate statehood to the region.

Mr. Vinod, who had got down from his jeep to talk to the protesters was escorted out of the crowded place by policemen.

At the parade ground, some more TRS activists raised slogans and displayed black flags. A few workers of Nava Telangana Party (NTP) also raised pro-Telangana slogans with black flags before being bundled out by the police.