The AP police here on Saturday took YSR Congress Party leader R K Roja into preventive custody while she was proceeding to attend the National Women’s Parliament being held at Amaravati. She was detained for an hour at Gannavaram Airport and later whisked away to an undisclosed place.
According to reports, as soon as Roja alighted at Gannavaram airport to go to Amaravathi, the police personnel surrounded her and told her that she has to wait as Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama was to arrive there shortly. Then she was taken to a room where she was kept under police surveillance and not allowed to leave. After about an hour, Roja was taken to Vijayawada with a woman police officer. An enraged YSRCP leader entered into heated argument with police officials for “kidnapping” her though she was invited to attend the Women’s Parliament with an invitation and entry pass.
The stormy petrel, member of AP Assembly, Roja said the incident shows what kind of security the women have under the Chandrababu Naidu government. She alleged that the “timid” government was trying to prevent her from speaking the truth at the global conclave. She said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao have no moral right to organize the Women’s Parliament as the TDP government was not sincere about women’s empowerment. “Why leaders like Brinda Karat and Medha Patkar, who were working for the women’s cause, were not invited to the event”, she asked.
She also alleged that National Women’s Parliament has turned into a show of family of members of some leaders. She pointed out that daughter-in-law of Chandrababu Naidu and daughters of Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao addressed the conclave.
Meanwhile, several YSRCP leaders, including women legislators rushed to the airport and alleged that Roja was kidnapped. On the other hand, the ruling party alleged that Roja was coming to disrupt the event. YSRCP official spokesperson Parthasarathi condemned the action of the TDP government in getting MLA Roja arrested as undemocratic. They said Roja was taken in a car towards Perecharla from Gannavaram and people tracked the car till Medikonduru, after which they lost contact with her. Attempts to reach her over phone also proved futile as it could have been switched off by the cops. Opposition party leaders alleged that Roja was hijacked by the police and demanded that she be released immediately and allowed to take part in the National Parliamentarians Convention.
Roja falls down, cries for help
Meanwhile, eye-witnesses said Roja made an attempt to save herself and tried to get out of the car at Medikonduru. In the melee, Roja fell down and was seen in tears. The scuffle of the YSRCP MLA was recorded on the mobile phones of eyewitnesses. (NSS)