Hyderabad, February 27: Minister for Handlooms and Textiles P. Shankar Rao, who is frequently in the limelight for doing something unusual, was in the thick of action again on Saturday when he sat in dharna on the main road in front of the Secretariat where the members of the Telangana Non-Gazetted Officers Association were already staging a protest.
Dr. Shankar Rao took the onlookers and security personnel by surprise when he squatted on the road in support of the employees who went on a flash protest against the alleged “misbehaviour” of police officials against women staff members.
The police officers reportedly stopped TNGOs Association members who were invited for talks by the Cabinet Sub-Committee to end the non-cooperation movement by the employees.
Commotion
The Minister was on his way to office from the Assembly when he stopped at the entrance on hearing the commotion over the behaviour of the police. Joining him in the protest was TRS MLA E. Rajender.
The protest threw the traffic on the busy road haywire as the police could not use force due to the presence of the Minister among the protestors. Dr. Rao warned a section of police officials against tarnishing the image of the Government and the Congress. He claimed that “Telangana is not a distant dream anymore”.
Dr. Shankar Rao wondered why the police officials were treating pro-Telangana supporters as “terrorists and dacoits” when they never created any law and order problems. He said he would take up the matter with the Chief Minister and the Home Minister.
The TNGOs and other unions boycotted the meeting and demanded suspension of the police officials. Central zone DCP Akun Sabharwal assured the agitating members that he would conduct an inquiry into the issue and initiate action against those found guilty.
-Agencies