Congress activists burn KCR's effigy, stage dharna

Patancheru: Congress corporator Shankar Yadav said here on Friday that the merger of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in TRS was 'undemocratic' and a 'dark day in Telangana'. To protest the merger, Congress activists set fire to an effigy of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Ambedkar Circle and staged a dharna on the national highway.

Addressing the protectors, Shankar Yadav stated that the alleged 'purchase' of 12 Congress MLAs was akin to buying of 'cattle' in a market'. He described the merger as a 'shameful act'.

Town Congress president Narasimha Reddy pointed out that although the Telangana State was created as per Article 30, the scrapping of CLP headed by a Dalit leader Bhatti Vikramarka reflected the high-handed arrogant attitude of a high caste leader and his determination to end Bhatti's hold on the party. He alleged that KCR had offered the Congress MLAs 'contracts and regularization of government lands'.

Among those who participated in the dharna were former sarpanches Sanjiva Reddy, Raji Reddy, minority wing president Asif, vice-president M Rajasekhar, Yuvaraj, Srinivas Mudiraj, former town Congress president Mallesh Yadav and Yadagiri.