Police arrested Congress leaders across the State on Saturday morning as they headed for various projects on the Godavari river to highlight ‘corruption’ and ‘injustice’ being done to projects started by the erstwhile Congress regime.
Some were picked up late in the night while on their way to the project sites while others were not allowed to come out of their houses as police blocked their respective residences with vehicles and heavy deployment of personnel.
Interestingly, no police personnel were seen at the residence of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy. But he was unable to move out as all his colleagues were arrested across the State, thus interfering with his plans.
Congress Legislature Party leader Bhatti Vikramarka was placed under house arrest at Wyra in Khammam while a large posse of policemen were stationed at the residence of TPCC working president and Malkajgiri MP A. Revanth Reddy.
MLA stages dharna
Manthani MLA D. Sridhar Babu, who had planned to organise the ‘jala deeksha’ protest at Sripada Yellampalli Project in Ramagundam mandal, was arrested in Manthani. He sat on dharna at his home, protesting against police excesses. MLC T. Jeevan Reddy was arrested in Jagtial on his way to Tummidihatti in erstwhile Adilabad district and PCC working president Ponnam Prabhakar was forced to stay put at the Sircilla Congress party office.
In Karimnagar town, TPCC official spokesperson Medipalli Satyam was arrested and his attempts to visit UMD project site were foiled.
Former PCC Chief V. Hanumantha Rao and former MLC Ramulu Naik were arrested at Yellandu guest house and shifted to Kothagudem police station while they were going to Dummugudem project. Former Minister Shabbir Ali was also confined to his home.
MLA T. Jagga Reddy, TPCC working president J. Kusum Kumar and AICC Secretary Ch. Vamshichand Reddy were placed under house arrest in Hyderabad. TPCC general secretary H. Venugopal Rao was arrested at Ramgundam.
However, AICC Secretary A. Sampath Kumar, along with Congress workers, reached Gouravelli reservoir giving the police a slip. Speaking to the media there, he criticised Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and demanded that all the projects started by the Congress party be completed immediately. Later, he was arrested and moved to Husnabad police station.
In Adilabad, AICC leader G. Sujatha and her supporters were put under house arrest and prevented from proceeding to the site of the Chanaka-Korata inter-State barrage across Penganga river in Jainad mandal where they were slated to stage the jala deeksha protest.
In Kumram Bheem Asifabad district, the in-charge of party affairs in Sirpur constituency, Palvai Harish Babu and his supporters were taken to Kagaznagar police station early in the morning as part of the preventive arrests. Many others from respective mandals were also stopped from proceeding towards the site of the Pranahita barrage across Pranahita river in Tummidi-Hatti village in Koutala mandal.
Congress leaders, including former Ministers P. Sudarshan Reddy and Mohammed Ali Shabbir, were also detained at their respective houses. Among those who were detained included TPCC general secretaries Gadugu Gangadhar and B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, DCC presidents Manala Mohan Reddy (Nizamabad) and Kailash Srinivas Rao (Kamareddy), former DCC president of undivided district Taher Bin Hamdan and in-charge, Zaheerabad Lok Sabha constituency Madan Mohan Rao.
Bhadrachalam MLA Podem Veeraiah was arrested while on his way to Seetharama project while Mulug MLA Seethakka was prevented from going to Devadula project. Ms. Sethakka released a video criticising the ‘dictatorial’ rule in Telangana.
