PR dharna: Chiranjeevi arrested

Chiranjeevi squats on the road, bringing the traffic to a grinding halt

Common man unable to have even one square meal a day, he laments

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— Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

Drawing attention: PR president Chiranjeevi staging a ‘dharna’ protesting rise in the prices of essential commodities in front of the Chief Rationing Office, in Secunderabad on Thursday.

HYDERABAD: Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi and over a dozen senior leaders of the party were among the hundreds arrested here on Thursday as they staged a dharna against the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and obstructed traffic for over an hour on the busy Sardar Patel road.

From around 10 a.m., traffic on the road before the office of the Chief Rationing Officer was reduced to a crawl as Praja Rajyam leaders and cadres drove in their vehicles, occupying road space.

By the time Mr. Chiranjeevi came there, the stretch was already jammed.

Raise slogans

The party president squatted on the road, while the leaders and cadres shouted slogans denouncing an ‘uncaring government’.

Pre-occupied

Speaking to the media, he regretted that a government could be so pre-occupied with the GHMC elections and other political interests when the common man was unable even to have one square meal a day due to the ever-increasing prices.

“When red gram almost touches Rs. 100 a kilo, who can hope to get the required protein. And it’s sad that while the Chief Minister speaks of Rs. 2 a kilo rice, the fine variety is being sold at Rs. 40 a kilo,” he said.

Mr. Chiranjeevi and some others were arrested and taken to the Gandhi Nagar police station.

Released

Among others picked up by the police were T. Devender Goud, C. Ramachandraiah, Kala Venkat Rao and Dasoju Sravan Kumar. They were let off after a while on personal surety.

PR leader injured

In the melee around the time the people started arresting party leaders, Praja Rajyam Greater Hyderabad convenor Kattela Srinivas Yadav was pushed to the ground and in the tussle, he developed chest pain and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

Source : The Hindu.