Vijayalakshmi weaves her way past T-blocks

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YSR Congress honorary president Y.S. Vijayalakshmi’s deeksha for weavers was held amid high tension, violence and police lathicharge at Sircilla in Karimnagar district on Monday. TRS activists tried to block the leader’s convoy all along the route from Hyderabad to Sircilla. Despite deployment of a huge police force, stones, eggs and slippers were thrown by T-activists on the convoy along the route and at the deeksha venue at Amb-edkar Chowk in Sircilla.

The police had a tough time clearing the way for Ms Vijayalakshmi’s convoy and had to fight pitc-hed battles with T-activists in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medak and Karimnagar districts. Many vehicles were damaged in the process.

Scores of T-activists including TRS MLAs K.T. Rama Rao, T. Harish Rao and other party leaders were arrested at different places. At Siddipet, the police had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the mob.
Ms Vijayalakshmi, who undertook the deeksha for about two hours in the afternoon, however, did not comment on her party’s stand on the Telangana issue, which has been the main demand of the TRS.

TRS activist manhandled at meet venue
While several women activists were being taken in the police jeep after their arrest, TRS leader from Warangal and Telangana activist Raheemunnisa escaped and jumped atop the jeep and shouted “Vijayalakshmi go back” and “Jai Telangana” and removed her slipper and showed it to Ms Vijayalakshmi.

An unidentified person — it could not be confirmed if he was a YSR Congress activist or a policeman in mufti — climbed on to the jeep and pushed her down. Sources said that when the T-activist fell, she was punched by YSR Congress activists and allegedly assaulted by the police. She lost consciousness and had to be rushed to the Sircilla area hospital where she was declared out of danger. Sircilla TRS legislator K.T. Rama Rao and Warangal West MLA Vinay Bhaskar visited the hospital and enquired about her welfare. Mr Bhaskar subsequently decided to shift her to Warangal for better treatment. About 20 Telangana activists, including four women, were injured in the scuffle with YSR Congress activists and the police at the deeksha venue.