MRPS men vandalise Telugu daily office

Hyderabad, May 26 (UNI) Suspected activists of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) and other like-minded organisations today attacked the Telugu daily 'Andhrajyothi' head office, damaging the furniture and setting fire to the front office.

Police said about 30 MRPS activists, who came in two cars, entered the front office of the building.

When the receptionist and security guard prevented them from entering the office, they pushed them aside, poured petrol over the office and set it afire.

After setting ablaze the front office, the activists broke the glass windows with stones and sticks. Two cars, parked in front of the office, were also damaged in the attack.

Meanwhile, City police Commissioner B Prasad Rao, who visited the office, told newspersons that preliminary investigations showed the MRPS activists had attacked the office.

MRPS Founder-President Manda Krishna Madiga was taken into cuostody at Ambedkar Statue when he was staging a dharna.

The police official said the security would be tightened at the newspaper office where police pickets would be posted. Investigation would also be done into security lapse at the office, if any.

A report from Warangal said some miscreants burnt the newspapers when they were denied entry into the newspaper's office at Hanmakonda.

The security personnel obstructed suspected MRPS activists when they tried to enter the office premises.

Meanwhile, security was tightened at all 'Andhrajyothi' offices located in all district headquarters in the state.

Angered with an article in which 'objectionable comments' were published against a particular community, the MRPS activists had attacked the office.

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