Bezawada.co.in

Condemning the murder of their leader Chalasani Venkateswara Rao (Pandu) in Hyderabad, the Telugu Desam Party has called for a bandh of Krishna district on Tuesday. Most of the business establishments and educational institutions in the city as well as areas falling under Penamaluru constituency, of which Pandu was the party in-charge, observed a voluntary bandh as soon as the news was flashed on TV channels. At several places on National Highway-9 up to Vuyyru, the impact of impromptu bandh was visible.

Several party leaders thronged the new residence of Pandu in J.D. Nagar, into which he moved barely a fortnight ago, and raised slogans against the Congress government. The body, which was brought from Hyderabad, arrived first at the party office on route number 5 around 8 p.m. and was later shifted to the residence. It will be kept here until Tuesday morning and will be taken later to Ventrapragada near Gudivada, the native village of Pandu, for performing the last rites in the afternoon. Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and several other State leaders will attend the funeral.

The news that broke out early in the day was received with shock and disbelief by the party leaders and the activists, who accused the government and the police of deliberately not providing security to Pandu leading to his murder under suspicious circumstances. TDP district MLAs, led by Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, rushed to Hyderabad. TDP spokesperson Kagita Venkata Rao, MLA Dasari Balavardhana Rao, Polit Bureau member Uppuleti Kalpana, district leader Chalamalasetti Ramanujaya, TDP floor leader in VMC Yerubothu Ramana and others condemned the murder. Addressing a joint press conference at the party district office, they saidthe Congress leadership had been “eliminating” strong leaders of their party in different parts of the State in the last six years.

'Case of conspiracy'

Mr. Venkata Rao said it was clearly a case of conspiracy by Congress leaders and more information was still awaited with regard to the involvement of Pandu's close follower. TDP urban president Vallabhaneni Vamsi Mohan said in a statement that the government would be held completely responsible for any attack on the TDP leaders as part of the “murderous attacks” being indulged in by the Congress leaders.