Senior Telangana Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao here on Saturday faced the heat of Samaikyandhra agitation. However, the police resorted to mild lathi-charge to disperse the integrationists, who tried to attack the former’s vehicle at Alipiri, foot hills of Tirumala.
Hanumanth Rao, a strong supporter of Telangana State, arrived in the holy town this morning to have a darshan of Lord Sri Venkateshwara.
Speaking to the media after having darshan of the Lord, an unruffled Hanumanth Rao said the Seemandhra employees working in Hyderabad and the Telangana region should go to their own region after bifurcation of the State. He alleged that gross injustice meted out to Telangana unemployed youth in job opportunities was the one of the main reasons for birth of Telangana agitation. When Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was leader of the Opposition in the Assembly had sowed the seed for bifurcation of the State by encouraging Telangana Congress MLAs to submit a memorandum to the Congress high command in 1999 demanding formation of separate Telangana State. He strongly suspected that the affluent Seemandhra political leaders were behind APNGOs’ the agitation for united Andhra Pradesh.
Knowing about arrival of Hanumanth Rao in Tirupati, the Samaikyandhra agitators planned to obstruct his vehicle, in which he was travelling from Alipiri. Coming to know about the agitators’ plam, the Superintendent of Police of Tirupati reportedly called the Rajya Sabha member on telephone and advised him not to come to Tirupati from Tirumala. Disregarding the cop’s advice, Hanumanth Rao started in his vehicle to reach Renigunta Airport from Tirumala.
Enraged by the remarks of the MP, agitators threw eggs and footwear at his vehicle.
The integrationists gathered at Alipiri and tried to obstruct the vehicle of Hanumanth Rao. However, the police personnel, who were deployed at the spot, dispersed the agitators by resorting to mild lathi-charge. An unidentified agitator reportedly hurled his footwear at Hanumantha Rao’s the vehicle. At one time, Alipiri area was enveloped in high tension. However, by the grace of Lord Balaji, Hanumanth Rao safely reached Renigunta airport with police security. (NSS)