Sonia Gandhi speaks to Rosaiah over Hyderabad situation
By IANSMonday, March 29, 2010
HYDERABAD - United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and union Home Minister P. Chidambaram spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah over phone to inquire about the situation in Hyderabad after the communal clashes.
Rosaiah informed the state assembly Monday that the Congress president was concerned about clashes in the old part of the city. He also said that 10 companies of paramilitary forces had reached Hyderabad from Delhi in the morning and more forces were on their way.
Amid protests by the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislators over the “failure of police” to prevent the attacks, the chief minister said: “We are taking the help of other states as well and mobilising the required forces.”
Chidambaram assured the chief minister all help from the central government to restore peace.
Rosaiah said he was constantly monitoring the situation with top police officials and announced that a meeting would be held with all political parties and legislators to review the situation.
On MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s allegation that police remained a mute spectator to attacks on places of worship and houses, the chief minister appealed to him not to make any comments in the house that can aggravate the situation.
Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy, who visited the old parts of the city early in the morning, said the situation was now under control. She assured deployment of adequate forces in all sensitive areas.
On the concern over safety of students appearing for their Class 10 board examination in the affected areas, Minister for Secondary Education Manikya Varaprasad said he would examine the possibility of holding a re-exam for those who could not take their papers.
Rosaiah and leader of opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu appealed to people and all political parties to help restore the peace.
As MIM legislators continued to protest over the alleged bias shown by police in dealing with the situation, Speaker N. Kirankumar Reddy adjourned the house for 15 minutes.
