Arrest TDP activists for mock demonstration: Devineni

Vijayawada, Oct 20 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Senior Congress Leader Devineni Rajasekhar today demanded the police to arrest TDP leaders and activists for impersonating a dalit activist as Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and beating him with broomsticks in a mock demonstration over Gouru Venkata Reddy issue yesterday.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Rajasekhar said the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) activists parading the activist, chasing and beating him with eggs and broom sticks, would tantamount like insulting dalits only.

He alleged, the police had totally failed to react on the issue.

He said when the Congress was in the opposition, the police used to register cases against them when they organised dharnas peacefully. Why the police were not responding now, he questioned.

The Congress had not staged any such protests like the TDP, he claimed and added that if the TDP wanted to protest against the state government on its wrong doings, they could do so but not by stooping to the level like criticising and parading an activist as Chief Minister, in such a humiliating manner.

Reacting angrily over the incident, over 400 Congress activists led by city Congress President Pyala Sominaidu staged a demonstration in the party's office, and met City Police Commissioner Umesh Sharaff last evening demanding serious action against the TDP activists.

The TDP had impersonated one of the activist as Chief Minister yesterday and a banner was tied across his body saying ''nene Y S Rajasekhara Reddy''.

The TDP leaders and activists also staged dharna before B R Ambedkar statue here yesterday with a slogan 'save constitution and save democracy'.

Three days back, the TDP activists staged dharnas in front of the District Collectorates demanding immediate resignation of Chief Minister for the role he played in granting clemency to Gouru Venkata Reddy, who was convicted in double murder case.

The TDP leaders and activists went to the extent of parading a buffalo in Guntur calling it as the 'state government' and poured water on it, making a mockery of state's inaction over the same issue.

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