Days after attack on woman forest officer, fresh attack injures Forest Dept personnel in Telangana
Hyderabad, July 2: Two Forest Department employees sustained injuries in an attack allegedly by a group of tribals in a village in Telangana, days after the brutal assault of a woman forest officer that triggered an outrage.
Police said the two Forest personnel came under attack at Timmampet village in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district Monday night after they objected to ploughing of forest lands.
The injured have been admitted to a local government hospital, a police official said.
Concerned over the attacks, representatives of Forest Department employees unions Tuesday met minister for forests Allola Indrakaran Reddy and sought setting up Fast Track Courts to punish the perpetrators and also to invoke the Preventive Detention Act against such attackers.
The minister assured them that the Government would stand by the employees and assured protection for the staff, an official release said.
Reddy advised that the department work in coordination with police and revenue officials to counter such incidents.
The fresh incident came on a day when the Sunday attack on 34-year old Forest Range Officer C Anita by a group of people, allegedly led by ruling TRS MLA Koneru Konappa's brother Krishna, evoked outrage with the issue echoing in Parliament.
The victim, who was discharged Tuesday from a private super speciality hospital here where she was admitted after being attacked with huge bamboo sticks, has said even animals are not hit this way.
Divisional Forest Officer Laxman Ranjit Nayak told PTI that Anitha was discharged Tuesday and would take rest for some days.
She was discharged today from the hospital. She is still in trauma. She will take rest for some days and join duty, Nayak said.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) Monday expressed concern and asked the state DGP to give a detailed action taken report on the attack in connection with which police have arrested the MLA's brother and 13 others on charges, including attempt to murder.
Anitha, along with her staff and police, had gone to Sarasala village in KB Asifabad district for plantation on a land under a compensatory afforestation scheme for Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project when she was attacked.
Video footage of the attack showed Anitha climbing onto a tractor to escape from the bamboo stick-wielding people.
Besides, the state Forest Department has lodged a complaint against TRS MLA Vanama Venkateswara Rao for allegedly "obstructing" construction of a wall for protection of forest land near Yellandu town on June 29, a charge denied by him.
On the latest incident involving the tribals, police said they have registered cases against 12 people.
Quoting the complaint from officials, police said trouble broke out Monday night when the two forest personnel, accompanied by other staff, tried to stop some villagers who were trying to plough forest land.
"The villagers attacked the officials when they were trying to seize a tractor used for ploughing.
We have registered cases against 12 persons, an official of Mulakalapalli police station told reporters.
A Forest Department official, who was part of the team, said 'Guttikoyas' (tribals) came in large numbers and attacked them with sticks.
BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao hit out at the ruling TRS over the attacks on the personnel.
"When uniformed officials are being attacked, what are you waiting for. It looks as if his (Chief Minister K Chandrasekar) own MLAs are not listening to him," he said in a statement here.
The whole county saw how a woman official was attacked and yet there was no clear statement from the TRS or the head of the government or ministers so far, he charged.
Referring to the complaint against MLA Venkatewara Rao, the BJP leader alleged that the former and his son threatened forest officials when they were trying to build a protection wall for forest land.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
