Tension prevails at Kothagudem

Kothagudem: Tension prevailed at the Singareni Collieries head office here on Tuesday as the police stopped CITU leaders, who tried to force their way into the premises after being denied permission, to hold a public meeting.

A public meeting addressed by Kalvakuntla Kavitha, Nizamabad MP and honorary president of the TRS-affiliated Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS) had already been allowed during the day.

The trouble arose when, following the refusal to hold the meeting, the CITU leaders questioned the police leading to a verbal duel between the two sides. The agitated CITU leaders raised slogans against the State government and staged a protest.

The leaders questioned as to how Kavitha’s meeting was being allowed inside the head office with huge flexis, banners and DJ sounds, while recalling the SCCL management’s stand that meeting should be held outside the office gate, in view of the election code.

Following the row, the Singareni Collieries Employees’ Union lodged a strong protest, accusing the SCCL management of being pro-TRS.

Addressing the cadre, CITU leader Manda Narasimha Rao claimed that fear of losing the SCCL elections had gripped the ruling party; hence the TRS was resorting to ‘undemocratic steps’ and that the company management was acting as its stooge.

Rao recalled that when the organisation sought permission from the management to hold a public meeting, it had cited the election code. He questioned as to how Kavitha’s meeting was being allowed, stating that CITU would complainto the SCCL election officer.

Rao pointed out that such undemocratic act had not occurred in the past and it would affect trade union relations. District CITU general secretary Annavarapu Satyanarayana warned that the organisation would not keep quiet if agitations were sought to be crushed.

He demanded action against those violating the election code. Among the CITU leaders present were G Raja Rao, T NageswarRao, K Sammayya, Bukya Ramesh, Likki Balaraju, Tatipatri Anil, Gudepuri Raju, Jalal, Ansari, Ahmed Ali, K H Prasad, Sitaramulu, Koteswar Rao, Shravan, Pittala Ravi, Purshottam, L Satyanarayana, Nalamala Venakteswarlu and Nalamala Satyanarayana.