Naidu leads TD march against Annas arrest

HYDERABAD: Protesting against the arrest of social activist and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare in Delhi on Tuesday, Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu, along with scores of his party activists, undertook a padayatra from NTR Bhavan to the Ambedkar statue near Tank Bund.It took Naidu and his supporters two and a half hours to walk the 10-km distance.Earlier in the day, the party's state extended committee had met at NTR Bhavan to finalise an action plan against corruption and agrarian crisis. After his inaugural address, Naidu informed the party leaders that Anna was arrested sent to Tihar jail and proposed that they express their protest by undertaking the march.The meet ing ended abruptly and Naidu, holding the national flag, led the march which started at NTR Bhavan a 12.45 pm and reached the Ambedkar statue at 3 pm via Punjagutta, Somajiguda, Khairatabad and Secretariat. Traffic was disrupted during the padayatra.Addressing the gathering at the Ambedkar statue, Naidu wondered how Anna could be lodged in the Tihar hail where all the corrupt politicians had been remanded."What is the sin Anna committed to warrant his remand in Tihar jail? The prime minister should tender an open apology to the nation for sending Anna to Tihar," he said.“Despite repeated pleas to the government against corruption there was no action, forcing the civil society to launch a crusade against corruption.The UPA government has denied Anna the right to protest. This is unjustifiable.It should open its eyes before the fight against corruption snowballs into a bigger movement," Naidu said and mooted reforms in the judiciary, and political and other fields.The marchers included Y Ramakrishnudu, T Devender Goud, P Ashok Gajapati Raju, M Narasimhulu, S Chandramohan Reddy and several MLAs.