Raja Narasimha, Revanth Reddy taken into custody as Medak observes bandh

The bandh call given by the Opposition parties protesting against the lathi-charge on displaced villagers of the Mallannasagar reservoir was peaceful on Monday, even as several TDP and Congress leaders were taken into custody in various places in the district. Shops and business establishments were closed in several parts of the district, while pro and anti-bandh activists took out separate rallies in Siddipet town leading to tension. Police picked up some protesters while they were enforcing bandh. Opposition parties have expressed their solidarity with the protesting villagers, condemning the lathicharge by the police on peaceful padayatris. Telangana Joint Action Committee chairman Prof M.Kodandaram was taken into custody at Vontimamidi near Mulug of Medak district, while proceedings towards Erravelli. He was whisked away in his vehicle. Telangana TDP working president A Revanth Reddy and former Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha were taken into custody, while they were proceeding towards Mallannasagar to express their solidarity with land oustees of the reservoir. While Raja Narasimha was taken to Gajwel police station, Revanth Reddy was shifted to Doulthabad police station. Bandh is total across the district with the TSRTC withdrawing its services in all the bus depots. Congress and others party workers were out in the morning enforcing the bandh. Former Congress Whip T. Jayaprakash Reddy and others squatted in front of Sanga Reddy bus depot. In Narsapur town, bandh was total, with the District Congress Committee president V Sunitha Laxma Reddy and others participating in it. Gajwel, the home constituency of Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao witnessed partial bandh. As politicians made a beeline to Vemulghat, Etigadda Kishtapur and Erravelli villages, police cordoned off the area and prevented movement of vehicles towards these villages. However, Minister Harish Rao claimed that bandh organized by opposition parties did not get any support from the people. Speaking to media at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao said bandh was total failure. He alleged that opposition parties have been creating hurdles in the development of the State. They are trying to provoke Mallannasagar villagers for deriving political mileage, he added. The minister further stated that farmers of six out of eight villages under the jurisdiction of Mallannasagar reservoir have readily accepted to part with their lands. The government would make payment as demanded by the farmers under GO 123 or Land Acquisition Act 2013, he said.