Hyderabad, June 10: The minister for mines and geology, Ms Galla Aruna Kumari, on Thursday grabbed a lathi from a policeman and laid about her left and right, injuring several Telugu Desam protesters who were attempting to disrupt the Rythu Sadassu, a farmers’ meeting the minister and others were attending at the SV Agriculture College grounds.
Ms Aruna Kumari was probably merely venting her pent up anger at being forced to sit through the farmers’ conclave while the farmers lambasted the state government for its failures.
The farmers’ conclave commenced at noon but Ms Aruna Kumari, the Tirupati MP, Dr Chinta Mohan, and other officials who were present, were not allowed to address the gathering. The farmers took over the proceedings and criticised the State government for misleading them with false promises.
The conclave turned into a homage to YSR and the dignitaries had to sit quietly on the dais, false smiles pinned to their lips. At this juncture, the Telugu Desam cadres led by the party general secretary, Mr Varla Ramaiah, and the district spokesman, Mr Neelam Balaji, turned up and raised slogans accusing the Congress government of being “anti-farmer”.
As they advanced towards the stage, a heavy police force surrounded them. That was when Ms Aruna Kumari exploded.
She got up from her chair, grabbed the lathi of a nearby constable and began belabouring the TD contingent, calling on the farmers and police to chase them away.