Minister for information technology Ponnala Lakshmaiah was, on Friday, cornered by some Telangana advocates when he appeared as a witness in the High Court in connection with an election-related case filed against him.
“You (Telangana ministers) are least bothered about the suicides by youth for Telangana cause. You are worried about your posts and support the chief minister. Telangana youth are dying because of the Congress government’s delay in resolving the issue,” they told Ponnala.
A group of Telangana advocates comprising Gandra Mohan Rao, V Raghunath and others raised the Telangana issue before Ponnala in the court hall of justice R Kantha Rao.
The judge who was hearing the petition challenging Ponnala’s election from Jangaon Assembly segment in 2009 polls, took a short break to allow the counsels of both the parties to decide the next date of hearing the case.
At this juncture, some advocates rose from their chairs and started pulling up the minister on the separate statehood issue.
The advocates, however, became quiet when the judge returned to the court hall. Ponnala was taken aback at the unexpected development. Police were deployed outside the court hall to prevent any untoward incident.
The judge adjourned the hearing on election petition to Feb 21.
Earlier, the court recorded the statement of the minister on the petition filed by Kommuri Pratap Reddy, who lost the 2009 election from Jangaon segment, seeking to declare Ponnala’s election as illegal.