BJP to organise Mahadharna against logo on beedi packets

Hyderabad, May 3 (UNI) BJP state president Bandaru Dattatreya today said his party would organise a 'Mahadharna' on May eight to protest the government's proposal to imprint the logo of skull and bones on cross beedi packets.

Talking to newspersons here, he said the party will organise a dharna to pressurise the Centre to abolish GO 297, which was supposed to be implemented from June one this year.

Mr Dattatreya alleged that 1.5 crore beedi workers in the country and 15 lakh workers in Andhra Pradesh were dependent on the beedi industry and the government had not provided any alternative employment for these workers.

The BJP leader alleged that the Centre did not bother about the pollution emanating from big factories which was creating health problems.

He said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, during the Karimnagar by-elections, had assured the voters that he would pressurise the Centre to scrap the GO but he had done nothing in this matter, despite several representations from the leaders of Telangana region.

He said the 'Mahadharna' would be conducted in different parts of Telangana region, including Adilabad and Karimnagar.

Mr Dattatreya released a 'Mahadharna' poster in this regard.

UNI