Hyderabad, January 29: As usual, the Rachabanda programme was disrupted in several districts in Telangana region by T protagonists demanding that Telangana be delivered immediately and not sops and freebies.
At some places, the protests became violent, necessitating the police to intervene. They lathicharged the crowds. They did not spare chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy either, creating trouble in Nalgonda and Maheswaram in Ranga Reddy district.
BC welfare minister Basvaraju Saraiah, who was become a red rag for T activists, tasted their wrath once again, this time in Rangasaipet in Warangal. They lay on the road, obstructing the movement of the minister’s convoy. Though the police sent dummy convoys twice, it was not of much use since whether the convoy was a dummy or not, they were there obstructing them.
When it became clear for the police that the T activists would not leave the area without disrupting the programme, they arrested them and physically removed them.
Of the 67 Rachabanda programmes in Warangal district, the officials could conduct only 20. Police caned agitators in Muluguganapur in which local MPP sustained injuries. In Karimnagar, the agitators pulled down the tent and dais and shouted slogans against district collector GD Aruna in Husnabad. In Peddapalli mandal locals prevented the entry of officials in Gorrampalli and Mallipalli.
In Adilabad district, the officials were able to conduct only 32 programmes against 69 Rachabanda programes today.
In Medak district, local sarpanches touched the feet of visiting officers and requested them not to come to their villages for Rachabanda till separate Telangana was created. Officials returned silently.
–Agencies