Warangal leaders arrested in view of Cong protest in Hyderabad

Warangal: Large numbers of Congress leaders were taken into police custody and put under house-arrest across the erstwhile Warangal district in the wake of party’s expelled MLAs’ protest in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

On the other hand, the action against Congress MLAs and arrest of leaders triggered serious protests by the party workers, who burnt effigies of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao at many places in the district. Since morning police were deployed at the residences of Congress leaders to prevent them from attending the protest in Hyderabad.

Former TPCC chief P Lakshmaiah, district Congress president N Rajender Reddy, ex-mayor Errabelli Swarna, city Congress working president Rajanala Srihari and several others were put under house arrest.

However, Rajedender Reddy and Swarna managed to reach Hyderabad and attended the protest. When Srihari along with a few party workers was leaving for the State capital, he was arrested by Mattewada police and taken to Intezargunj police station and was released later.

Speaking to the press, Srihari accused the TRS government of violating democratic rights of Opposition party leaders. The government was using the police to serve the TRS party interests and it was unjustifiable, he said warning that if the action against the MLAs was not withdrawn, serious protests would be staged.

Former minister D Sridhar Babu and former chief whip G Venkata Ramana Reddy addressing a press conference at Bhupalpally, have also demanded the government withdrawal of the expulsion and suspension of the MLAs.

The police arrested the party workers, who staged rasta-roko and burnt the effigies of the CM at Bhupalpally and Mahabubabad.