Roja unafraid after attack

Chennai, Apr 9 (IANS): Undeterred by the attack on her by supporters of a rebel candidate, film star Roja who is contesting polls in Andhra Pradesh for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) said here Friday that she would not run away from the field.

The popular actress of Tamil and Telugu cinema is contesting from the Nagari assembly seat, 45 km from the temple town of Tirupati in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, where about 50 percent of the people are Tamil.

In Chennai before she begins her campaign, Roja told reporters: "How can I do anything for the people if I feel scared at this stage itself?"

"I will not run away from the field," she asserted.

"Those who think that they can scare a woman into leaving the field are going to be terribly disappointed," the actress added.

Roja and her husband managed to escape unhurt earlier this week when a large group of supporters of a TDP rebel candidate allegedly pelted stones at her convoy when she was going to file her nomination papers.

Police had to fire in the air to disperse the crowds. About a dozen Roja supporters, including two cameramen from the film industry, were injured in the incident, police said.

The clashes took place as the rebel TDP candidate Doraiswamy Raju, also a film producer, was also going to file his papers at the same time.

She alleged that Raju's men were instigated by the Congress.

Roja has recently fought an economic offence case in the courts here for two years and has served a social-work sentence.