HYDERABAD: In the wee hours of Tuesday as Telangana was observing its sixth state formation day, Telangana police personnel descended at the houses of senior Congress leaders including present MPs and MLAs in different parts of the state and detained them in their houses, in order to prevent the protest planned by Congress party on the various irrigation projects over the Krishna river.
The protest, also known as Deeksha, was planned by the state unit of Congress party to highlight their allegation that Telangana Rashtra Samithi government in the state did not take up works of various irrigation projects which were sanctioned during Congress rule before state formation.
The Congress leaders who were detained in their houses by the police included TPCC President and Nalgonda MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy in Hyderabad, TPCC Working President and Malkajgiri MP A Revanth Reddy in Kodangal, Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy in Hyderabad and former minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah in Hyderabad.
However, Uttam Kumar Reddy argued with the police officials at his house pointing out that he is an MP and cannot be detained like this and that he will complain about it to the judiciary, following which he was allowed to move out of his house. After this, he went to Gandhi Bhavan in Nampally and hoisted flag there and from there left to Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project, as planned earlier.
He condemned the arrests of Congress leaders across the state and criticized the government over it and demanded that the government not hinder peaceful activities.
Meanwhile, Bhongir MP Komatireddyreddy Venkat Reddy also followed suit and argued with the police deployed in his house, convincing them that he will not take out any protest but will just visit the SLBC. He was also allowed to move out of the house along with former minister and Congress senior leader K Jana Reddy and they proceeded towards the SLBC.
Other senior leaders still detained in their houses include CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, Mulugu MLA Seethakka and Bhadrachalam MLA Podem Veeraiah who had planned for Deeksha at the Paderu reservoir, Malkajgiri MP A Revanth Reddy and former MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy who had planned for Deeksha at the Laxmidevipally Pump House, former minister Nagam Janardhan Reddy who had planned for Deeksha at the Ellur reservoir and Vamshi Chand Reddy who had planned for Deeksha at Kalwakurthy. All the protests were proposed by the TPCC to be staged on Tuesday from 10 am to 5 pm.