Hyderabad, December 25: Telugu Desam Party MLA E Dayakar Rao and MP Venugopala Reddy caused much embarrassment for the security personnel at the Secretariat as the duo managed to sneak into the premises as a part of their ‘Chalo Secretariat’ programme organised here today. The activists of TDP, CPI and CPM also managed to escape the police net at several places before they were taken into custody at the entrance of the Secretariat.
TDP leaders Dayakar Rao and Venugopala Reddy sprung a surprise to the security personnel at the C Block inside the Secretariat. The duo left their gunmen outside the Secretariat and drove in a car claiming to have come on some official work. The unsuspecting security personnel cleared their way despite the ‘alert’ sent by their higher officials. Soon after they entered the Secretariat premises, Dayakar Rao and Venugopala Reddy walked to the C Block and squatted at the portico of the building. Both the leaders raised slogans against the state government for more than an hour. But the security personnel were least bothered to remove them even as the electronic media sprung into action to capture their protests. After more than an hour, Central Zone DCP Akun Sabharwal arrived and arrested the agitating TDP leaders.
The TDP and the Left parties gave a call for ‘Chalo Secretariat’ today to protest the state government’s refusal to provide more input subsidy for farmers. About 15 MLAs, 2 MPs and other peoples’ representatives paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises and raised slogans against chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy for not conceding their demands.
Later several activists belonging to TDP and the Left parties took out a rally and proceeded towards the Secretariat. The police interrupted them at Ravindra Bharati. The agitating leaders indulged in a heated argument with the police for obstructing their way. Even as the police arrested several activists, about half-a-dozen MLAs along with several activists managed to reach Secretariat which was manned with nearly three companies of police personnel. The police foiled the attempts of the agitators and shifted them to Goshamahal stadium.
–Agencies