Meet firing victims' families: Naidu to PM

Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday announced that he would undertake a day's fast at Indira Park on Tuesday demanding that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who is arriving at the city on a scheduled visit, should call on the families of victims of Mudigonda police firing in Khammam district.

Speaking to newsmen in Hyderabad, Naidu said that he had written a letter to the prime minister listing out his demands. He said that the PM should visit Mudigonda for a first-hand view of the incident in which six persons were killed and eight others injured when police opened fire during the statewide bandh on Saturday.  He also wanted the PM to visit the families of the firing victims to console them.

Naidu urged the PM to take action against those responsible for the police firing and to "remove" Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy from his post. "The chief minister remains unrepentant despite the loss of innocent lives. He should not be allowed to hold on to his post a minute longer and he must quit immediately," he added.

"The prime minister heads the United Progressive Alliance government. There is a Congress government in Hyderabad. When the poor are under attack in the state and when inhuman incidents are taking place, is it not the responsibility of the prime minister to ensure that rule of law prevails in the state," he said.

The TDP leader lashed out at the chief minister, accusing him of ushering in "rowdy raj" and "rakshasa rajyam" in the state. He said that a number of innocent persons were killed in indiscriminate and unprovoked police firings at different places, including Mecca Masjid area in the city after the bomb blast on May 18, as well as at Penukonda, Gannavaram and Bhadrachalam. Six persons were killed at Penukonda during byelection and five in the Old City after Mecca Masjid bomb blast.