Police foil Rajakas 48-hr agitation, arrest leaders

Vijayawada: The city police on Monday spoiled the 48-hour long fast proposed by the members of the Andhra Pradesh State Rajaka Sanghala Ikyavedika seeking their inclusion in the Scheduled Castes list.

The Rajakas who planned to hold the fast at the Dharna Chowk were stopped and arrested by the police. The Rajakas led by their State president Pathapati Anji Babu were arrested and shifted to the Ungutur police station in Krishna district. They were detained at the police station all through the day.

Meanwhile, hundreds of the Rajakas who came to the city to participate in the fast held a protest at the Kanakadurga Varadhi on River Krishna near Tadepalli of Guntur district against the arrest of their leaders. They raised slogans against the government for adopting undemocratic policies and arresting those who were heading for a peaceful protest.

The leaders of various political parties who belonged to the Rajaka community also held a protest near the DGP office in the city protesting against the arrest of Anji Babu and other leaders.

Congress leader Kolanukonda Sivaji, Ukoti Seshagiri Rao, K Nagaraju, Konakondu Srinivas, Chikkavarapu Mahananda Kumar and others held the protest seeking the unconditional release of Anji Babu and others. They condemned the attitude of the police in arresting the Rajaka leaders who were set to hold a peaceful protest seeking SC status for them.

Sivaji criticised the government for arrest of the leaders who were asking the government to fulfil its election promise. He said that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was acting as a dictator towards the people who were asking him to fulfil his election promises.

CPI city secretary D Shankar and Rajaka intellectual and retired professor, P Veerabrahmam, condemned the arrests.