New Twist In TSRTC Strike, Driver Files Case Against Ashwathama Reddy

HYDERABAD: After Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao's caustic remarks about the TSRTC strike and agitators in a press conference in Thursday evening, a case was filed against the RTC JAC Convenor Ashwathama Reddy in the Kukatpally Police station on Friday.

A driver named Raju working in the Kukatpally depot filed the case where he mentioned various issues about the strike and the role of the JAC in instigating the workers.

He mentioned that the Ashwathama Reddy had poisoned the ears of the workers and that because of the strike many employees had lost their lives during these 22 days strike.

He also mentioned that Ashwathama Reddy was the reason why the two employees committed suicide. To prevent further such extremities , the driver requested the police to take action against the JAC Convenor.

He also said that many people were commenting that T Harish Rao was a useless person for not responding despite being a well-wisher of the RTC Unions.

If we had held talks with Harish Rao , there would be no necessity to have conducted the protest. Without the police help, we are unable to ply buses and we are the ones who are pushing the RTC into further debt, he wrote.

Interestingly, he wrote that with CM KCR giving the call to quit the strike and rejoin duty, this was a wonderful opportunity and we should not lose our jobs.

The Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday ruled out merger of the TSRTC with the government as demanded by the striking employees and indicated more buses would be hired to meet the requirements of commuters.

Hitting out at the JAC leaders, he accused them of pushing the corporation further into debt with more demands despite the staff being given a 67 per cent hike in salaries. Slamming them, he claimed it was "a strike, borne out of cheap union politics... They themselves (leaders of unions) are making RTC sink (by their actions). Nobody in the world can save it... It's a gone case."

Responding to KCR's statement, employees' union leader Aswathama Reddy said it was not appropriate for the chief minister to speak in a manner, which amounted to 'insulting' the workers and accused him of going back on his promise.

Also Read: Another Agitating TSRTC Employee Dies Of Heart Attack