KADAPA: Fifteen students were injured, when the police resorted to lathi-charge on the agitating students under the aegis of SFI at the Collectorate, demanding the establishment of steel factory here on Friday. The police lathi-charge led to stampede like situation as the students and police grappled for some time, causing severe tension at the Collectorate for over an hour.
One of the students, M Ramesh Naik of YVU and secretary of SFI, refused to be bundled into the police vehicle. Furious over this, the police thrashed him indiscriminately, in which he sustained spinal cord injury and fell unconscious. He was shifted to RIMS, where the doctors advised him to be shifted to SVIMS in Tirupati for better treatment.
The SFI organised a 500-km steel march padayatra and maha dharna at the Collectorate on Friday demanding establishment of steel factory. Large number of police personnel led by DSP Masum Basha was deployed at the Collectorate to maintain law and order situation for the maha dharna.
The police as a precautionary measure locked the main gates of the Collectorate. However, the students wanted to submit memorandum to the Collector. But the police refused and tried to prevent the students when they tried to climb the gate to barge into the Collectorate. To prevent them, the police resorted to lathi-charge and dragged the students indiscriminately.
MLA SB Amzad Basha, Mayor K Suresh Babu, CPM leader B Narayana, CPM district secretary K Anjaneyulu and Congress spokesperson N Srinivasa Rao extended solidarity with the agitating students. The student union leaders warned of intensifying the agitation for steel factory.
Meanwhile, CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna, CPM State secretary P Madhu and Left party leaders condemned the police lathi-charge on the students. In a statement here, on Friday they expressed shock over the police brutality.
“Police high-handedness” flayed
Student union leaders warn of intensifying the agitation for steel factory
The students wanted to submit memorandum to the Collector. But the police refused and tried to prevent the students when they tried to climb the gate to barge into the Collectorate
Left party leaders express shock over the police brutality