Babu protests at not getting appointment with PM

It was an ideal opportunity for Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu to score some political brownie points during the visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the state on Tuesday, and he did take all possible advantage of the situation.

Mr Naidu, who has been earnestly searching for issues to rally people behind him as of late, staged a dharna at Rasoolpura Crossroads near Begumpet Airport to register his protest at not getting an appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to present a memorandum on farmers’ problems and the harassment of loanees Micro Finance Institutions in the state.

He, along with his 500 followers entered into heated arguments with the police during the dharna. The police finally arrested and shifted him to Amberpet police station, but not before the TDP chief charged the Congress with stifling the legitimate voice of the opposition by not giving him the opportunity to present the problems of the people to the Prime Minister.

“The Chief Minister has not even taken up the responsibility of taking a delegation of all-party leaders to submit a memorandum on state problems to Prime Minister, who come to city to lay foundation stone for Tata Institute of Fundamental Research at University of Hyderabad,” Mr Naidu stated.

The TDP president also warned that his party would intensify its agitation across the state on farmers’ issues and victims of MFIs until the government comes out with concerted measures.

Though the police managed to shift Mr Naidu and his colleagues, including former minister Devender Goud, Motkupalli Narasimhaiah, TDP MPs, MLAs and MLCs, he did manage to turn attention of the media towards him.