'Mala mahanadu' activists gherao Meira Kumar

Vijayawada, May 24 (UNI) About 50 'mala mahanadu' activists led by its leader Manikayal Rao, who were opposing the categorisation of the SCs in Andhra Pradesh, gheraoed Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar when she arrived at Vijayawada railway station here early today.

The Minister was here to console the family members of Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) leader Subba Rao who died a few days ago.

Shouting slogans ''minister go back'', the leaders and activists alleged that Ms Kumar had given her consent for categorisation of SCs.

The MPRS activists, who assembled at the railway station, raised slogans in favour of their demand.

The Minister consoled the family members of Rao at Inchpeta and later left for Hyderabad.

In 2004, when the Supreme Court struck down the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Act pertaining to sub-categorisation of SCs in the state, MRPS founder-president Manda Krishna Madiga went on fast at his residence demanding classification of SCs into a, b, c and d categories and allotment of reservation to each category as per its population.

UNI