News In Brief
New Delhi
Prominent actor is dismissed from political role in India
India's flamboyant film star and politician, N. T. Rama Rao, was dismissed as chief minister of southern Andhra Pradesh State and briefly arrested inside Government House Thursday. Mr. Rao accused Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of engineering his dismissal as part of her strategy for general elections, which must be held in the next five months. He said Mr. Gandhi planned to ''topple'' all state governments that were not ruled by her Congress (I) Party to give her a powerful base on which to fight the election.
Rao, a fiery orator, came to power 18 months ago with his new Telugu Desam Party, which displaced a traditional Congress (I) government. In recent months, he has been trying to forge a united opposition to fight Mrs. Gandhi in national elections.