BJP protest blocks traffic

Kishen Reddy, Prem Singh Rathore among those arrested

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Malls held responsible for the steep rise in prices

State accused of failing to rein in hoarders

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Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

For a cause: BJP leaders, led by party’s State president Bandaru Dattatreya, trying to enter the civil supplies office in Hyderabad on Friday. —

HYDERABAD: Traffic was disrupted on the busy Somajiguda – Punjagutta stretch on Friday following a demonstration organised by the city unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in front of the Civil Supplies Bhavan to protest against rising prices of essential commodities.

The party activists squatted on the main road and raised slogans against the Central and State governments for failing to control the prices of essential commodities.

This caused a hindrance to the traffic flow and serpentine queue of vehicles extended up to the Punjagutta junction.

Addressing the gathering, the BJP Greater Hyderabad president Chintala Ramachandra Reddy held the government responsible for the rising prices that had hit the lower and middle class families.

He alleged that malls in the city were indulging in hoarding of essential commodities, which is leading to steep rise in the prices of essential commodities.

He charged the government of having failed to take action against such hoarders.

Rice scheme flayed

BJP State president Bandaru Dattatreya accused the State and Central governments of failing to control the increasing prices of essential commodities. The government had introduced Rs. 2-a-kg rice scheme only to woo voters for the forthcoming elections.

Later, party activists tried to enter the Civil Supplies Bhavan, but the police prevented them from entering the premises and took the leaders, including G. Kishen Reddy and BJP State Secretary Prem Singh Rathore into custody.

It took more than an hour for traffic police to regulate the movement of vehicular traffic on the stretch.

Source : The Hindu.