The Hindu : BJP claims good response to bandh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

BJP claims good response to bandh

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Feb.11. Four BJP leaders today claimed `overwhelming' response from people to the State-wide bandh call and condemned the police action against party activists as also Congress and Left attacks in some parts of the State.

The bandh was called to protest the `jehadi' killings by the DJS and demanding its ban and arrests of its supporters under the POTA.

S.V. Seshagiri Rao, B. Bal Reddy, vice-presidents, Indrasena Reddy, party floor leader, and K. Laxman, State general secretary, told a press conference here on Tuesday that the bandh had passed off peacefully, despite provocation by the police and the Congress and Left parties.

They alleged that several party supporters were assaulted by Congress and Left parties' activists in Nalgonda district, while in Khammam a CI had undressed the arrested persons.

While thanking people for their support to the bandh, the leaders wanted the State Government to ponder over this aspect. They clarified that the bandh was neither against minorities nor seeking to divide people on communal lines, as alleged by some parties. The response, they stated, should open the eyes of the Congress which was "appeasing'' the minorities.

Replying to a question, Mr. Indrasena Reddy said the party would raise the issue of banning the DJS and arresting its supporters under the POTA in the coming Assembly session. He alleged that involvement of the DJS in bomb-making had been exposed following the death of a person in a blast.

Mr. Bal Reddy claimed that the recent killings by the DJS amounted to intelligence failure. He ridiculed the Home Minister's statement that enquiry was on to unearth proof against the organisation. He clarified that the RSS was not a terror organisation as was made out to be by some parties, including the Majlis.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Ch. Ramachandra Reddy, State BJP president, thanked people for their support to the party's bandh call. He said the response to the "peaceful'' bandh was "unprecedented.''

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