RAGHAVAPUR (PEDDAPALLI DIST): The public hearing held by the Pollution Control Board at Raghavapur on the outskirts of Peddapalli town to seek the opinion on environmental issues related to Kaleshwaram project turned into a battlefield with ruling TRS and Congress activists clashing with each other. They threw chairs at each other and shouted slogans, leading to chaotic scenes. Police had to resort to lathi charge and arrested Congress activists.
Sensing trouble, a large contingent of police was deployed at the venue on Wednesday morning.
As the officials were seeking the opinion of the people, S Srinivas, a project oustee, raised objection to the manner in which the government was going ahead with execution of the irrigation projects. TRS activists, who were present there, tried to prevent him from speaking which led to confrontation between the two sides. Congress activists started shouting slogans denouncing the chief minister. Soon, a physical clash ensued and both groups started throwing chairs at each other. Even after the intervention of police, the two groups continued to clash, prompting the policemen to cane them. MLAs Dasari Manohar Reddy and Putta Madhu tried to pacify the TRS activists but in vain. Five Congress activists and a circle inspector were injured in the clashes. However, officials resumed the public hearing after some time.
Former minister D Sridhar Babu, who was taken away from the venue, squatted outside along with a good number of Congress activists. Police arrested all of them and shifted them to Peddapalli police station. Sridhar Babu alleged that the government was suppressing the voice of opposition parties.
TRS MP Balka Suman and others accused the Congress of trying to disrupt the public hearing and shouting slogans against the chief minister.
District collector S Prabhakar Reddy said that the opinions of 82 farmers and public representatives were taken during the public hearing. Later, Sridhar Babu wrote a letter to State Pollution Control Board chairman Rajiv Sharma, requesting him to postpone the public hearing as it was being conducted in an unscientific manner.