Congress gets into action mode

Ponnala suffers injury during rally against shifting of Secretariat, Chest Hospital

Hyderabad: Eight months after the Congress suffered a severe drubbing in the elections, the party rank and file for the first time buried their differences and got into agitation mode. Scores of Congress leaders, including TPCC president Ponnala Laxmaiah, former ministers, MPs and MLAs, assembled at Gandhi Bhavan and marched in a procession towards Raj Bhavan protesting against Chief Minister KCR’s move to shift the Secretariat and Chest hospital.

The Congress leaders and workers were holding placards and raised slogans condemning the TRS and its chief. A large contingent of police stationed near the Namapally Crossroads put a break to the pada yatra by preventing the Congress leaders from moving forward on the plea that no permission was given for the rally.

The Congress leaders taking strong objection to what they termed as “high handedness” tried to break the police cordon. This led to a pushing and jostling in which the TPCC president suffered a fracture on his left hand leading to tense moments at Goshamahal Police Station, where the Congress activists were taken by the police.

The police hurriedly called doctors to attend to Ponnala who was wreathing in pain. They also summoned an ambulance and sent him to a hospital for treatment. As the news of injury to Ponnala spread, the Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition K Jana Reddy, rushed to the Goshamahal police station and staged a dharna.

The Telangana Congress leaders strongly condemned the excesses by the City Police. Addressing the party workers at the Goshamahal Police Stadium, TPCC vice-president Mohammed Ali Shabbir alleged that the TRS government had been used the police force to foil a peaceful rally opposing also the shifting of the Chest Hospital from Erragadda.

He accused the Chief Minister of acting like a dictator who wants to suppress the Opposition using force. Shabbir Ali announced that the Congress would intensify the agitation and said the Congress workers would hold demonstrations on Sunday across the state.

He said the Congress would not remain silent till the government withdraws its GO on shifting of the Chest hospital. Greater Hyderabad Congress president Danam Nagender accused the police officials of behaving like TRS workers. He said this was just the beginning of their agitation and the TRS government would witness many more protests in the near future.

He said they would lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on the use of force against Ponnala Lakshmaiah. Former MLA Marri Sashidhar Reddy, who had hit the headlines over his tussle with Danam, also participated in the protest. He advised the TRS government not to provoke the sentiments of the common people acting in a dictatorial manner.