Hyderabad: Global city’s techies take to streets over Naidu’s arrest

Hyderabad: Several techies in Hyderabad extended their support to Andhra Pradesh former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu who was arrested in alleged Skill Development Corporation corruption case.

IT professionals working in various companies in the city participated in a protest organised by the Telugu Desam Party at Wipro Circle in Gachibowli, a key IT cluster.

Holding placards with the slogan ‘I am with CBN’ the protestors raised slogans showing solidarity with Naidu.

They demanded immediate release of the TDP chief and called for saving democracy in Andhra Pradesh.

While some IT employees have individually shown their support for Naidu since his arrest on Saturday, this was the first time that a large number of people gathered to show their solidarity. Several techies from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh working in various firms in Hyderabad joined the protest.

Babu was the chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh from 1995 to 2004. He is credited with placing Hyderabad on the world IT map by bringing Microsoft and other global giants to set up their operations in the city.

The first IT Park Cyber Tower was built by the Naidu-led government in 1996-97. Its subsequent phases and the development of HITEC City created job opportunities for local youth.

Several IT professionals believe that the policies adopted by tech savvy Naidu and better infrastructure created during his rule developed Hyderabad as a global IT hub.

The organisers of Wednesday’s protest alleged that Naidu has been a victim of vendetta politics woven by the State government and it is “our duty to express solidarity in this hour of crisis to save democracy”.