States » SouthPosted at: Sep 27 2026 8:59PM


AP: Secretariat employees stage dharna, mild lathicharge by police

Vijayawada, Sep 27 (UNI) Hundreds of village and ward secretariat employees staged a protest at the Dharna Chowk here on Sunday demanding that the Andhra Pradesh government concede their demands for wage hike and promotions.
The dharna was in response to the village and ward secretariat employees union recently giving a 'Chalo Vijayawada' call.
The employees squatted on the road raising slogans. Police carried out a mild lathicharge to disperse them.
Meanwhile, the Guntur Municipal Corporation commissioner suspended village and ward secretariat employees’ union president Rajaq, stating that when the State was struggling with heavy rains, floods and El Nino effect, hundreds of employees launching agitation was improper. However, the CITUC State general secretary AV Nageswara Rao condemned the suspension.
The agitating employees told the media that the police behaved high-handedly by dragging them and resorting to lathi charge though they were peacefully protesting over what they termed was the "government’s indifference". They also alleged that the police prevented hundreds of employees at Ibrahimpatnam, Gannavaram and Mangalagiri from proceeding for the protest.
The Opposition YSR Congress Party has condemned the lathi-charge.Speaking to media here on Sunday, Party MLC Lella Appi Reddy said, "the coalition government has gone back on its poll promises and has been using police against the protesting employees".
The YSRCP MLC claimed that many leaders were prevented from coming to the venue and those who made it to the Chowk were beaten up by the police, adding that at least 141 persons were detained. The government is not prepared to even negotiate with them, he alleged.
"While the Chief Minister and his son are away, not a single minister takes the responsibility to sort out their problem and leave them at the mercy law enforcing authorities. They were protesting seeking the promotions and increments which were just demands as Chandrababu Naidu had promised to double their pay on assuming office but he failed to keep up the promise," he said.
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Tags: #AP: Secretariat employees stage dharna# mild lathicharge by police
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