Gandhi statue vandalism: V Hanumantha Rao stages protest

Warangal: Former Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao aka VH and Warangal District Congress Committee (DCC) president Naini Rajender Reddy on Tuesday staged a sit-in at TV Tower Colony where some unknown persons vandalised the statue of Mahatma Gandhi a few days ago. The Congress leaders alleged that the statue was vandalised allegedly by some TRS leaders as their names were missing on its plaque.

Speaking on the occasion, VH said that it was a condemnable incident. Although the statue of Mahatma Gandhi was set up some three decades ago, some local leaders who were unhappy as their names were not engraved on the plaque of the statue intentionally destroyed the statue, he said. "It's a huge disrespect to Mahatma Gandhi, the man who led the India's freedom struggle, and also widely respected world across," VH said.

He demanded the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) authorities to explain why they remained mute over the incident. Did it happen without the knowledge of corporators and the civic body? he asked, stating that the Congress has always been in the forefront to protest if anyone disrespected Mahatma Gandhi. He demanded the GWMC to install another statue in the same place immediately.

Learnt about Congress' protest, former deputy mayor and TRS corporator Embadi Ravinder rushed to the spot along with the GWMC EE Srinivas and other officials. They assured VH that the GWMC would install another statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the same spot with the funds approved under the nomination basis. Following which, the Congress leaders withdrew their protest.

Senior Congress leaders B Srinivas Rao, EV Srinivas Rao, K Sekhar, Banka Sarala, M Satyanarayana, Banka Sampath Yadav, Banka Satish Yadav and Palle Rahul Reddy were among others present.