Hyderabad, May 26 (IANS) The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation has dismissed a bus driver of a private hire bus after he allegedly criticised the leaders of the ruling Congress staging a protest over the hike in petrol and diesel prices.

The TGSRTC has written to the owner of the private hire bus (PHB) to withdraw the driver from PHB services with immediate effect.

The driver, Ashok, while driving the bus from Jagtial to Dharmapuri on Monday, had made certain remarks criticising the Congress leaders participating in a protest on the road at Jagtial.

He had reportedly advised the protestors to focus on procuring the produce from farmers. State minister Adluri Laxman and Congress MLAs were participating in the protest.

The letter by Jagtial Depot manager to PHB owner Chukka Venugopal stated that Congress’ Dharmapuri Mandal President C. Laxman has complained that the PHB driver criticised the Congress leaders who were staging a dharna at the RDO office, Warangal.

Ashok, while talking to local media persons, clarified that he was speaking with a person from his village who was participating in the dharna. He said he told him that instead of talking about diesel or petrol, he should first focus on procuring cotton and maize from farmers.

He denied criticising any political party or leader and said he only spoke about the farmers.

The opposition parties have criticised the government for removing the driver from service. They said it was reprehensible that the government decided to dismiss Ashok from his job for saying that the government should immediately purchase the maize and cotton stuck in warehouses.

They demanded that Ashok be immediately reinstated in his job. This authoritarian rule, which dismisses people from their jobs for asking questions, must end, they added.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former minister T. Harish Rao condemned the action against the driver.

Harish Rao said Ashok may be a driver, but he comes from a farming family, and that’s why he urged them to procure farmers’ crops. He is not affiliated with any political party, he said, and demanded that the driver be reinstated. He said the BRS will stand by Ashok’s family and also fight legally on his behalf.

Telangana Rakshana Samithi (TRS) leader K. Kavitha said that the Congress, which used to deliver grand lectures on democracy when it was in the opposition, is now undermining democracy after coming to power. She said the Jagityal Depot RTC driver, who suggested to the minister and Congress MLAs to buy the grains painstakingly harvested by farmers, has been removed from his duties.

“Restoring democracy is the seventh guarantee. Does a people’s government mean snatching the livelihood of those who question? That’s why we’re calling it a venomous government. The RTC driver Ashok, who was removed from his duties, should be reinstated. Farmers, who are running around for crop purchases, should be supported,” she said and warned that if the driver is not reinstated, her TRS would stage a protest.

–IANS

ms/vd