Members cutting across party lines on Friday, expressed anguish over the desecration and destruction of statues of Telugu luminaries in the city, suspecting it to be a planned action by some people. Raising the issue during zero hour in the Rajya Sabha, BJP senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu said, as many as 17 statues of Telugu icons who brought name and fame were destroyed and thrown in to Hussain Sagar lake.

Adding it was a sad day for democracy as media was also not spared, Mr.Naiu added that, it was a crime against our culture & insult to our heritage. The leader asserted that, we must all combine to condemn and send a strong message.

Published Date : Saturday, 12/3/2011 1:37 PM IST

Several other members joined him in condemning the incident in which pro-Telangana mob destroyed Andhra heroes statues and threw them in the lake. The members said some extremists appeared to have got into the Telangana agitation.