Naidu, party leaders detained for protesting power charges hike

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and top party leaders, including over 25 MLAs, were on Tuesday taken into preventive custody as they were proceeding in a rally to the electricity office to protest hike in power charges and erratic supply.

They were taken to Banjara Hills police station, where they sat on a protest against their detention.

The former chief minister and his party leaders began the rally from TDP state headquarters NTR Bhavan and were proceeding towards the electricity office Vidyut Soudha at Somajiguda when police blocked their way on Road No 3, Banjara Hills.

There was a verbal clash between the TDP leaders and the police as the latter tried to whisk them away in police vans.

After a 45-minute drama, the TDP leaders, including Chandrababu, were taken to the Banjara Hills police station.

Naidu and other leaders including K Yerran Naidu, P Ashoka Gajapathi Raju, T Devender Goud, S M Laljan Basha were later released.

Talking to newsmen at the police station, the Leader of Opposition lashed out at the state government for totally "destroying" the power sector in the last seven years.

"In 2004, the state had surplus power thanks to a series of reforms we had initiated. But now the state is reeling under an acute power crisis, vastly affecting industrial development and agriculture," Chandrababu said.

Morevover, the government has enhanced power charges, imposing an additional burden to the tune of Rs 5000 crore. Besides, another Rs 4500 crore was being levied as fuel surcharge. The power distribution companies were in red as the government owed them over Rs 16,000 crore, he said.

"Many small scale industries had closed down because of erratic power supply and weekly power holiday. Even major industries are being pushed into the red while the agriculture sector is also the worst hit," Chandrababu alleged.

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