GUNTUR: The Congress leaders staged a dharna in front of AP Assembly at Velagapudi on Thursday evening protesting denial of permission into the Assembly premises. The Congress leaders led by APCC official spokesperson N. Tulasi Reddy, former MLA and Guntur DCC president M. Mallikarjuna Rao and others went to the Assembly to view the rain leakages but the Assembly staff denied permission to the team.
The Congress leaders squatted before the Assembly gate and demanded a thorough inquiry into the quality of of the construction of Secretariat and Assembly buildings. The Congress leaders asked Assembly deputy secretary Vijaya Raju to allow their team to see the chamber of YSR Congress president and opposition leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, but the appeal was rejected.
Mr Tulasi Reddy claimed that they have a right to visit the building of Assembly to see the water leakages but Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was ruling like a dictator and denying their democratic right. He alleged that Mr Naidu is killing the spirit of democracy through his autocratic rule. He and other leaders alleged that the TD government totally failed in the construction of the Secretariat and Assembly buildings and feared the poor quality construction would become a big threat in the future. They expressed suspicion that the AC pipeline might have been cut after the incident of seepage of water to save the government in the episode and demanded a thorough inquiry. APCC secretary Abdul Waheed, Tadikonda Cong-ress incharge T.J.R. Sudhakar Babu, Congress leaders Vanukuri Srinivas Reddy, L. Eswar Rao and others joined the dharna.
