TDP demands probe into OMC issue

Plans to intensify agitation; submits memorandum to Governor

Photo: Satish. H

Up in arms: TDP workers led by party leaders Kadiam Srihari and Talasani Srinivas Yadav staging a dharna in Hyderabad on Sunday. -

HYDERABAD: Signalling its move to intensify the agitation on the Obulapuram Mining Corporation (OMC) issue and arrest of its MLAs, the Telugu Desam Party has demanded a judicial probe by a sitting High Court Judge, cancellation of mining leases.

A delegation led by TD Parliamentary Party Leader K. Yerran Naidu, legislator T. Devender Goud and MLC Dadi Veerabhadra Rao, submitted a memorandum to Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Sunday seeking a direction to the Government to suspend the police officials in Anantapur district for “highhandedness” against the MLAs and also for eviction of G. Janardhan Reddy, Karnataka MLC representing OMC, from the leased area.

They explained to the Governor on how party legislators were treated by the police.

All those who were arrested on Saturday were still staging a dharna outside the Rayadurg police station to convey their protest.

They showed Mr. Rameshwar Thakur pictures of the land then and now and narrated how OMC had allegedly pulled down an ancient Sunkulamma temple.

It was unfortunate that a supposedly democratic Government behaved in an authoritarian fashion.

They said the TDP would raise the issue in the Legislature and in Parliament.

Earlier in the day, party leaders and cadres staged dharnas before statues of the Mahatma Gandhi in all district headquarters and in Hyderabad.

A delegation also met Justice B. Subhashan Reddy, Chairman, State Human Rights Commission and reiterated their demand for justice.

Left condemns

Meanwhile, the CPI (M) and CPI have condemned the arrest of leaders and elected representatives of the TDP during their visit to Obulapuram mining area. In a statement, CPI (M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu questioned the rationale behind the arrest of the people’s representatives when there was no “illegal” mining and everything was in accordance with the law. In the light of allegations of irregularities in mining leases being granted to “influential” people, the Government should constitute a House Committee to probe into the issue, he said. CPI State secretary K. Narayana, in a separate statement, said the Government would lose nothing by allowing the TDP leaders to inspect the area. He termed as “undemocratic” the efforts to prevent even the legislators to enter the area.

Source : The Hindu