HYDERABAD, 15 May 2005 — Most people preferred to stay indoors in Penukonda town of Andhra Pradesh yesterday as tension continued a day after six Telugu Desam Party (TDP) members and a police official were killed in police firing.
Violence had broken out in Penukonda in Anantapur district Friday when the widow of slain Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator Paritala Ravi went to file her nomination for a June 2 by-election.
It was almost like a curfew in the town with people remaining indoors fearing more violence. The streets around the office of Revenue Divisional Office (RDO), the scene of violence, were littered with stones, footwear and other missiles.
Police said though no untoward incidents were reported overnight, they were maintaining a tight vigil and additional forces were being mobilized from neighboring districts.
With fears of more violence, police imposed prohibitory orders in Anantapur and surrounding areas to prevent assembly of four or more people.
Police are also on high alert as opposition leader and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu is expected to visit the scene of police firing later in the day.
Home Minister K. Jana Reddy, who visited Penukonda late Friday night, defended the police action saying they opened fire in self-defense. He has promised financial assistance to the kin of those killed in the police firing and violence.
The TDP has called the police firing unprovoked and Naidu has demanded the suspension of Inspector General of Police (Rayalaseema) R.P. Meena and district superintendent of police Praveen Kumar.
Meena and Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Jaganmohan Reddy as well as minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy had figured in the police complaint filed in connection with Paritala Ravi’s murder on Jan 24. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which probed the murder, virtually gave a clean chit to all the three.
The incident has cast a shadow on celebrations to mark the Congress government’s first year in office. An alert has been sounded in the state capital where the main function to mark the occasion is scheduled for the evening. The chief minister will address a public meeting at the stadium where he had taken his oath exactly a year ago.
In Hyderabad, the Congress and its leader Rajasekhara Reddy, took the lead in the celebrations. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), which supports the government, did not join in.
Talking to newsmen, Reddy claimed his government had succeeded to a larger extent in controlling suicides by distressed farmers. He attributed the suicide of 770 farmers during the last one year to the impact of the policies pursued by predecessor Naidu.
Reddy claimed that while 700 farmers committed suicide during first six months of his rule, the number came down to 70 in the last six months.
Assuring farmers the government would continue to supply free electricity despite the odds, Reddy said his government was committed to completing all pending irrigation project in the next four years.
The cost of these projects is put at Rs. 460 billion.
