The State Police on Saturday arrested three persons in connection with the desecration of Dr BR Ambedkar's statues in Amalapuram of East Godavari district.
Addressing a press conference here, Inspector General of Police K V Rajendranath Reddy said that cases have been registered against 13 people and of them, three have been arrested on Saturday. The accused - Durga Babu, Anji Babu and Anil were also produced before the media.
However, police said that they desecrated the statues in an inebriated condition. Rajendranath Reddy said that the remaining accused would be arrested soon. He said the desecrated statues have been recovered from a farm well.
The IG has assured of taking steps to ensure that such incidents do not recur in future.
Meanwhile, following a call given by Mala Mahanadu, the dalit organizations have observed bandh in Eluru in West Godavari district in protest against the desecration of Dr Ambedkar's statues. Shops, establishments, public transport and educational institutions remained closed in Eluru on Saturday. (INN)
Install Ambedkar statue in Assembly premises: Babu
2012/1/27 14:34:50 Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu has appealed to Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar to use his office to install a bronze statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in the premises of State Legislative Assembly.
In a letter written to the Speaker on Friday, Naidu said that Dr Ambedkar's statue should be installed in the assembly building as a mark of respect for his contribution towards the constitution and for empowering the lives of depressed classes by providing reservation in jobs and education.
The TDP chief said that his party has been has favoured Bharat Ratna for Dr Ambedkar and has built Ambedkar Bhavans in all districts during the TDP's regime.
Expressing serious concern over the desecration of Ambedkar statues by some anti-social elements in Amalapuram, Naidu demanded that the government initiate stringent action against the guilty and take steps to ensure that such incidents do not recur. (INN)
2012/1/26 14:05:51 Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar on Thursday assured the delegation of Dalit representatives that he would direct the State Government to install the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar Statue in the Legislative Assembly premises soon.
Addressing Dalits organizations and associations in the State, who came to his chambers to submit a memorandum, Speaker Nadendla Manohar said that he would make sincere efforts for the installation of Ambedkar's statue in the Assembly premises.
The delegation was led by Rural Development Minister D Manikya Vara Prasad. The Dalit leaders also condemned the desecration of five Ambedkar statues in Amalapuram in East Godavari district. They also appealed to the Speaker to direct the government to initiate stern action against those responsible for disfiguring the statues.
They urged Speaker to direct the government to reinstall the statues and take steps to bring normalcy in the region. (INN)
Statues to be allowed 25 years after death: Minister
2012/1/30 9:15:56 The state cabinet sub-committee has met today to discuss the ongoing statues desecration cases and to draft the rules and regulations for installing the statues in the state.
While, the committee members gave number of suggestions in this regard, Minister Dokka Manikya Varaprasad expressing his grief said ''Nowadays we are seeing even the statues of rowdies and murderers in some places. I have observed some in Guntur. There should be certain guidelines for installing the statues. I think the statue of any person should be installed 25 years after his death only, if people still remember him and demands for his statue. I agree late YSR is a great person and his statues can be spared from this condition. However, there should be certain guidelines for everything."
The cabinet sub committee's meeting and its decisions seems to be mainly aimed to control YS.Jagan Mohan Reddy who is installing hundreds of statues of his father late YSR. However, one can't suspect the honesty of sub-committee as it is expected to find a solution to the ongoing desecration of statues of eminent personalities in the state.
YSR Cong politicising Ambedkar's statue, alleges Congress
2012/5/12 3:58:01 Hyderabad, May 12 (INN): Medical Education Minister Kondru Murali Mohan on Saturday demanded unconditional apology from YSR Congress party leaders for lodging a complaint with the Election Commission against T Subbarami Reddy, Congress candidate from Nellore Lok Sabha constituency, for promising to install the statues of Dr B R Ambedkar.
Talking to media persons at the Congress Legislature Party office, Murali Mohan demanded that the YSR Congress party leaders immediately withdraw their complaint. If they fail to change their attitude, he said that the Dalits in the state would not vote in favour of YSR Congress party.
Stating that Subbarami Reddy has not violated the Model Code of Conduct by promising installation of Ambedkar's Statues, he said that Ambedkar was not a politician, but the architect of Indian constitution. Everyone is free to install Ambedkar statues anywhere in the country, he said.
The minister said that YSR Congress party leaders politicizing the Ambedkar statue’s issue to get mileage in the ensuing by-elections.
Vital clues found in statue desecration cases: DGP
2012/1/27 14:40:02 Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy on Friday said that the teams, appointed to investigate the cases of desecration of Dr B R Ambedkar statues in Amalapuram in East Godavari district, had got vital clues about the incidents.
Talking to media persons, after conducting a review meeting at Police Commissionerate here, the DGP said that those responsible for disfiguring of statues would be arrested by Saturday.
“It was the handiwork of local elements and police have got all vital clues in this connection,” he added. He said the government was planning to form gram committees to protect the statues of national leaders. He claimed that normalcy had returned to Konaseema region and that the situation was under control.
The DGP that additional forces, deployed to maintain law and order in the town, would be withdrawn once the situation improved.
He said that cyber police station would be set up in Vijayawada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam in view of the increase in cyber crime cases in these areas. Also, 24 sub-control rooms would be established in the limits of Vijayawada Commissionerate, Krishna and West Godavari districts, he added. He also revealed that a Deputy Superintendent of Police would be appointed in each Assembly segment to take care of law and order.
He said that the government had decided to increase wages and allowances of Home Guards, issue them bus passes and extend Arogyasri scheme benefits. (INN)
2012/1/23 8:58:35 Some unidentified miscreants have demolished statues of Dr.Ambedkar in several areas in Amalapuram in East Godavari district on yesterday night. The raged backward leaders have attacked the suspects and the situation turn serious with both sides start hurling stones at each other. The small group of police force deployed fails to control the mobs and asks for additional forces. BC leaders have blocked all the main roads connected to the city and demands for immediate arrest of the culprits. The situation is very tense, but under police control now.
2012/1/30 15:45:31 YSR Congress Party leader Bajireddy Govardhan Reddy on Monday said that Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu’s statement that if he came to power his party would destroy all statues of the late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy might have provoked the desecration of Dr B R Ambedkar’s statues.
Talking to media persons at YSR Congress party office here, Mr Govardhan Reddy condemned the desecration of statues and demanded that the government nab the perpetrators instead of leveling charges against commoners.
Suspecting a wide conspiracy behind these acts, he said that only a thorough probe would reveal who the real culprits were. He took a serious note of the fact that Anti Corruption Bureau was not taking any action against Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana despite his alleged links with liquor syndicate.
Instead of arresting small fish, the ACB should catch big sharks involved in the liquor scam, he said. (INN)
2012/4/11 0:39:11 Telagana Jagruthi president K Kavitha would sit on a 48-hour hunger strike demanding installation of Dr BR Ambedkar statue in the premises of State Legislative Assembly.
Talking to reporters here on Wednesday, Kavitha said that the she would begin the 48-hour hunger strike from April 14 at Indira Park. She demanded that Ambedkar's statue be installed next to the Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the assembly premises. She said that all political parties have made representation to Speaker Nadendla Manohar requesting him to take steps for the installation of Ambedkar's statue. However, she said no action has been taken in this regard.
Kavitha also demanded that the State Government should install the statues of Telangana leaders like Kommaram Bhem at Tank Bund. Else, she warned that pro-Telangana activists would halt the re-installation of statues, damaged during Million March, at Tank Bund. She said that large-scale protests would be held across the region if the demands for installation of Ambedkar statue in assembly and Telangana leaders' statues at Tank Bund were not met. (INN)
Call for educational institutions' bandh on Monday
2012/1/29 13:26:52 The opposition parties including the students' organisations have called for a state-wide bandh of educational institutions' on Monday in protest against the desecration of Dr B R Ambedkar statues at Amalapuram and other places.
The decision was taken during a round-table conference held at Sundaraiah Vignan Kendram here on Sunday. The conference was attended by the representatives of major opposition parties including M Narasimhulu of TDP, Nayani Narasimha Reddy of TRS, Venkat Reddy of CPM among others.
While condemning the incidents, the leaders demanded that the State Government take stern action against those responsible for the incidents. They also asked the government to take appropriate measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
The leaders have unanimously decided to call for educational institutions' bandh on January 30 in protest against the incidents. (INN)
2012/1/29 13:30:08 SR Congress party spokesperson and MLC Jupudi Prabhakar accused the State Government of having failed to prevent the desecration of Dr Ambedkar's statues in Amalapuram and other places.
Talking to media persons after he was arrested by the East Godavari police on Sunday for trying to visit Amalapuram, Prabhakar said that the government has totally failed to handle the issue which led to unnecessary violence. Claiming that he was visiting Amalapuram to know the latest situation, he condemned the police for arresting him and other activists. Republican Party of India president Bojja Tarakam was also arrested.
Prabhakar said that the he would raise the issue of statues' desecration during the next session of State Legislative Council.
It may be mentioned that the police has already imposed section 144 in Amalapuram and political leaders are being prevented from visiting the trouble-hit town. (INN)
2012/2/16 4:54:08 Mala Mahanadu state president Karem Shivaji on Thursday demanded that the State Government take steps to protect Dr B R Ambedkar's statues in the State.
Talking to media persons, Karem Shivaji stated that the government should frame a stern law to deal with those vested elements who are defacing the statues of national leaders.
In protest against the desecration of Ambedkar's statues in the State, particularly in Amalapuram in East Godavari district, he said that Mala Mahanadu would organize `Chalo Hyderabad’ rally on March 21. He said he would also being his indefinite hunger fast on that day.
Karem also appealed to the State Government to take steps for total utilisation of SC/ST sub-plan funds. Alleging that SC/ST funds have been misused in many constituencies, he appealed to the government to take serious action against the officials responsible for it. (INN)
2012/1/30 8:31:21 Telugu Desam Telangana Forum leader Motkupalli Narasimhulu and his supporters were arrested by the police when they staged a dharna at Tank Band in protest against the desecration of Dr BR Ambedkar's statues.
Narasimhulu and TDP activists staged dharna in front of Ambedkar statue on Tankbund and obstructed the traffic. Raising slogans against the state government, the TDP activists demanded that the government take stern action against those responsible for such acts and take steps for not recur of such incidents in future.
Talking to reporters after his arrest, Narasimhulu said that the government should order a judicial probe into incident with a sitting High Court judge to get a comprehensive report on the incident. Holding Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy responsible for the incidents, he sought his apology to Dalit communities in this regard.
“The government should take immediate action against the culprits before the situation goes out of control in the State,” he demanded. (INN)
2012/1/25 9:34:53 Civil Supplies Minister D Sridhar Babu has assured that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy would do justice to Telangana region by allotting suitable berths in the next cabinet expansion.
Talking to media persons after launching `Subhojanam’ programme at Gosha Hospital in the district, Sridhar Babu expressed confidence that Chief Minister would do justice to SC/ST communities by giving them proper representing them in the Cabinet and remove the perception in their minds that his government was adopting anti-Dalit policies.
Responding to the ouster of Dr P Shankar Rao, he said that he was removed from the Cabinet due to some unavoidable circumstances.
Hailing the Subhojanam programme, where meals would be provided at Rs 8 and breakfast at Rs 5 for patients in the hospital, the Minister said that he would make efforts to implement the scheme at all government hospitals in the State.
Condemning the desecration of Dr B R Ambedkar statues in Amalapuram, he said that the government would take severe action against the guilty and directed the administration to reinstall the statues immediately. He appealed to the people in Konaseema region to observe restraint and help the administration and police maintain peace and law and order. (INN)
2012/1/24 14:29:22 Senior Congress leader G Venkatswamy on Tuesday held State Government responsible for the desecration of Dr B R Ambedkar's statues in Amalapuram of East Godavari district.
Condemning the incident, Venkatswamy demanded constitution of a high level committee to probe into the incident and also to suggest measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur. Talking to reporters at his residence in Somajiguda, he demanded that the government take stern action against those who are held responsible for the incident.
Defending the Amalapuram MP G Harsha Kumar's remarks that the SC/ST communities were meted out with injustice during the recent cabinet expansion, he asked Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to take steps to undone the injustice by giving them proper representation.
MP G Vivek said that some vested elements disfigured Dr Ambedkar's statues due to weak leadership of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. He demanded that the state government take steps for restoring the statues immediately and bring law and order situation under control.
Stating that the government was following anti-Dalit policies, he recalled the recent example of sacking of Handlooms and Textiles minister Dr P Shankar Rao. He also alleged that the government has been diverting funds meant for the welfare of the SC/STs. (INN)
2012/1/26 9:23:18 Telangana Jagruthi Organisation president Kavita was arrested by police on Thursday at Tank Bund in Hyderabad. She accompanied by some TRS workers and others have staged a dharna at Ambedkar statue at Tank bund in protest against vandalizing of Dr.Ambedkar statues in Amalapuram and Dhavaleswaram. She plans for a protest march to Assembly demanding an immediate action against the culprits and for installing a statue of Dr.Ambedkar in Assembly premises. However, since she has no police permission for her march, she was arrested by them. Kavita raged with her arrest enters into heated arguments with the police asking them what is wrong with her demands. She warns the Government if it fails to take immediate action on her demands, she will block the Assembly with thousands of people.
2012/1/30 8:30:00 The State Government has decided to enforce the rules for the erection of statues across the State.
The decision was taken by the Cabinet Sub-Committee which met at the State Secretariat here on Monday. Briefing the media after the meeting, Tourism Minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar said that the government would strictly implement the GO Ms No 55 dated April 18, 2003 which laid down certain rules and regulations for the erection of statues in the State.
As per the GO, the minister said, no statue could be installed anywhere in the State without taking clearance from the local authorities. It would also be mandatory for all the elected representatives to check whether the statues have necessary permissions before they unveil them or attending those events.
The cabinet sub-committee comprising Ministers K Jana Reddy (Panchayat Raj), N Raghuveer Reddy (Revenue), B Dharmana Prasad (R&B), M Maheedhar Reddy (Municipal Administration) and Vatti Vasanth Kumar (Tourism) also discussed the recent incidents of desecration of statues. However, the committee did not make any official comment about them.
The cabinet sub-committee has also directed the Districts' Collectors to submit a detailed report on the statues which have been erected without permission.
Vasanth Kumar assured that the State Government would soon re-install the statues which were damaged during the Telangana Million March. He admitted that the re-installation was delayed due to some problems with the tender process. However, he said that the re-installation process would be completed soon.
The minister said that demand for the installation of statue of famous tribal leader Kommaram Bheem was also under the active consideration of the government. (INN)
The brazen T protestors have not only shamelessly defended the demolition of statues on Tank Bund but they are now coming out in the open and defending their heinous act.
Some writers and poets from Telangana conducted a Swabhiman march on Tank Bund today. They raised slogans defending the felling of the statues. They even threatened the government with dire consequences if demolished statues were reinstalled.
Building a casteless society is real tribute to Ambedkar: Dr JP
2012/4/14 6:44:28 Dr BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary should be an occasion for everyone to pledge himself or herself for a building a casteless society in which all children, irrespective of the accident of birth in a certain caste, can realize their true potential and compete with the son of a collector or the daughter of a minister, said Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan here today.
Addressing a gathering after garlanding Ambedkar’s statue nearTank Bund, Dr JP said that regarding Dr. Ambedkar as only a Dalit leader amounts to doing great injustice to a national leader who strove to preserve national unity and eradicate caste.
Dr JP congratulated the State Government on constituting a Cabinet sub-committee on implementation of the sub-plan for SCs and STs and hoped the Government would create mechanisms necessary for productively utilizing the funds meant for downtrodden sections.
At the Lok Satta Party headquarters, party leaders Eeda Chennayya, V. Laxman Balaji, Katari Srinivasa Rao, Bandaru Ramamohana Rao, M. Satyanarayana, P. Sivaji and J. Krishna Rao paid floral tributes to Ambedkar. They said that paying a real tribute to Ambedkar lies in fighting against social evils and not merely in installing statues and garlanding them. It is to empower Dalits politically that the Lok Satta has been demanding proportional representation in elected bodies, they said. (INN)
2012/4/14 6:46:29 Rich tributes were paid to Dr BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary by YSR Congress Party here on Saturday.
YSR Congress president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy paid floral tributes to Dr Ambedkar and said that the marginalised sections of the society need to be given priority in all developmental works.
YSRC leaders, Jupudi Prabhakar, former MLA Sobha Nagi Reddy were also present on the occasion. (INN)
2011/9/18 6:13:42 YS.Jagan Mohan Reddy has unveiled number of statues of his father and former Chief Minister of the state late YS.Rajashekar Reddy through out the districts where he has visited during his Odarpu Yatra. But, the rivalry between the local groups in those districts leads to vandalizing the statues of late YSR.
According to reports, some miscreants in Nandikotkur, Brahmankotkur, and Garlapalli and in some other places in Kurnool district have vandalized the statues of late YSR. Leaders of YSR Congress party have lodged a police complaint in this regard.
Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu has appealed to Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar to use his office to install a bronze statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in the premises of State Legislative Assembly.
Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar on Thursday assured the delegation of Dalit representatives that he would direct the State Government to install the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar Statue in the Legislative Assembly premises soon.
The state cabinet sub-committee has met today to discuss the ongoing statues desecration cases and to draft the rules and regulations for installing the statues in the state.
Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy on Friday said that the teams, appointed to investigate the cases of desecration of Dr B R Ambedkar statues in Amalapuram in East Godavari district, had got vital clues about the incidents.
YSR Congress Party leader Bajireddy Govardhan Reddy on Monday said that Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu’s statement that if he came to power his party would destroy all statues of the late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy might have provoked the desecration of Dr B R Ambedkar’s statues.
Telagana Jagruthi president K Kavitha would sit on a 48-hour hunger strike demanding installation of Dr BR Ambedkar statue in the premises of State Legislative Assembly.
SR Congress party spokesperson and MLC Jupudi Prabhakar accused the State Government of having failed to prevent the desecration of Dr Ambedkar's statues in Amalapuram and other places.
Telugu Desam Telangana Forum leader Motkupalli Narasimhulu and his supporters were arrested by the police when they staged a dharna at Tank Band in protest against the desecration of Dr BR Ambedkar's statues.
Civil Supplies Minister D Sridhar Babu has assured that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy would do justice to Telangana region by allotting suitable berths in the next cabinet expansion.
Senior Congress leader G Venkatswamy on Tuesday held State Government responsible for the desecration of Dr B R Ambedkar's statues in Amalapuram of East Godavari district.
Telangana Jagruthi Organisation president Kavita was arrested by police on Thursday at Tank Bund in Hyderabad. She accompanied by some TRS workers and others have staged a dharna at Ambedkar statue at Tank bund in protest against vandalizing of Dr.Ambedkar statues in Amalapuram and Dhavaleswaram. She plans for a protest march to Assembly demanding an immediate action against the culprits and for installing a statue of Dr.Ambedkar in Assembly premises. However, since she has no police permission for her march, she was arrested by them. Kavita raged with her arrest enters into heated arguments with the police asking them what is wrong with her demands. She warns the Government if it fails to take immediate action on her demands, she will block the Assembly with thousands of people.
Dr BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary should be an occasion for everyone to pledge himself or herself for a building a casteless society in which all children, irrespective of the accident of birth in a certain caste, can realize their true potential and compete with the son of a collector or the daughter of a minister, said Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan here today.
Rich tributes were paid to Dr BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary by YSR Congress Party here on Saturday.
YS.Jagan Mohan Reddy has unveiled number of statues of his father and former Chief Minister of the state late YS.Rajashekar Reddy through out the districts where he has visited during his Odarpu Yatra. But, the rivalry between the local groups in those districts leads to vandalizing the statues of late YSR. 
