Vijayawada, Sep 21 — The YSR Congress Party protest at the SAAP office here on Monday, demanding the resignation of Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh over alleged irregularities in the appointment of teachers, triggered tension as newly recruited teachers resorted to a counter-protest.
The opposition party had called for a protest at the office of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) to highlight alleged irregularities in the appointment of teachers under the sports quota and to demand Lokesh's resignation and a thorough CBI probe into Mega DSC.
Teachers appointed under the sports quota also reached the SAAP office to counter what they called false propaganda against them and to submit a memorandum to the SAAP authorities.
Both the groups raised slogans against each other and nearly came to blows. The area remained tense for nearly two hours.
The teachers were inside the SAAP complex while YSRCP leaders staged a protest outside the gate. Police intervened to avert a clash by locking the gate. It detained several leaders and cadres of YSRCP.
The opposition party alleged that workers of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), masquerading as teachers, attacked its cadres.
Police erected barricades and prevented protesters from reaching the SAAP office, leading to tense scenes at Labbipet. Police resorted to a lathi-charge while dispersing YSRCP protesters, and several leaders and activists were detained, it said.
YSRCP leaders said the protest was peaceful and questioned why the government was using police force instead of ordering an independent investigation into the recruitment process.
Party PAC member and former Vinukonda MLA Bolla Brahmanaidu joined the protest and demanded a comprehensive CBI probe to establish the facts and ensure justice to deserving DSC candidates.
The party said persons linked to the TDP entered the SAAP premises posing as teachers and attacked YSRCP activists and student-wing leaders with sticks, leaving several injured. YSRCP charged that police failed to prevent the clashes and instead used force against its workers.
Police also stopped YSRCP leaders travelling to Vijayawada from different districts. Former minister Ambati Rambabu, Vanama Bala Vajrababu, Ambati Muralikrishna, Noori Fatima and others were intercepted near Kaza Toll Plaza and taken to Pedakakani Police Station. Jakkampudi Raja, Perni Krishna Murthy, Nagarjuna Yadav, and others were detained at Krishnalanka Police Station after participating in the DSC protest.
YSRCP spokesperson Konda Rajiv said that instead of answering questions of aspirants, the coalition government misused police force to detain party leaders and cadres
“We would like to ask Chandrababu Naidu if Andhra Pradesh is under democratic rule or dictatorial ‘Red Book’ rule.”
He alleged that the coalition government was following the agenda of evading evidence, intimidating dissenters and resorting to violence. “Such repression can’t bury the truth. We will intensify protest and fight hard in a better way until justice is delivered to each and every eligible and meritorious candidate and until and unless every culprit candidate is held accountable,” he said.