Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and former TDP MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao did not appear before the A.P. Women’s Commission on Wednesday.
Commission Chairperson Vasireddy Padma had issued notices to the two leaders on April 22 for allegedly “using abusive language and attacking her” when she went to console a rape victim at the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Vijayawada.
The Commission had directed the two TDP leaders to appear before it at 11 a.m. on April 27. However, they did not turn up.
The police, meanwhile, arranged tight security at the Commission’s office in the wake of the developments.
Addressing the media later, Ms. Padma said that Mr. Naidu had entered the GGH along with more than 100 party activists and created panic among the patients.
“The TDP workers had raised slogans and tried to add political colour to the sexual assault incident. They did not follow the guidelines of the courts in protecting the identity of the victim in the hospital,” Ms. Padma alleged.
“The Commission will take legal opinion on the behaviour of the TDP president and other leaders in the hospital, and their failure to appear before it,” Ms. Padma said.
Dharna staged
Meanwhile, tension prevailed at the Commission’s office at Mangalagiri when the leaders of the Telugu Mahila staged a dharna protesting against the attacks on women in the State.
Telugu Mahila president V. Anitha argued with the security personnel when the police prevented them from entering the office.
Later, after a wordy duel, she submitted a representation to Ms. Padma, demanding action against the accused in the sexual assault cases.
