In a major security breach and perhaps the first of its kind, over two dozen ABVP activists stormed the chief minister’s camp office at Begumpet, breaking all security cordons even as chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy was inside the camp office this evening.
All hell broke loose in and around the CM’s camp office around 7.45 p.m. after about 15 slogan-raising ABVP workers arrived at Begumpet and forced their way inside the camp office in protest against the fee reimbursement issue.
The security personnel, who appeared to have been caught off-guard, had to struggle to push the protestors back.
At least two ABVP workers even climbed the main gate which leads inside the camp office, much to the embarassment of the State Intelligence wing and the police top brass, and managed to enter the camp office.
However, later, a battery of policemen were rushed to the camp office.
Even they had a tough time with the protestors put them up strong resistance and still trying to make their way inside the camp office.
All the ABVP workers were taken into custody.
Sources said that an inquiry is likely to be ordered into the security breach. In fact, the manner in which a handful of protestors could gather and storm the camp office only indicated a failrue on the part of the State Intelligence wing and the Special Branch of the Hyderabad city police, the two wings that gather intelligence on any possible protest or gathering near the CM’s camp office.
Sources said the protestors appeared to have preplanned their move as some of them were initially seen mingling with the waiting mediapersons outside the camp office.
“There were several mediapersons and they (protestors) managed to get near the main gate one by one. We chased and caught them with difficulty,” sources said.
In fact, sources confirmed that the security breach has angered Kiran Kumar Reddy and he pulled up senior police officers seeking an explanation as to how a few people managed to force their way inside the camp office.
Senior police officials, including additional DGP (Intelligence) M Mahendar Reddy and Hyderabad police commissioner Anurag Sharma are likely to hold a meeting on Saturday in this regard and review the security of the chief minister’s camp office.
The incident took place after the chief minister arrived at the camp office from a tour of Khammam district.
Sources said the ABVP workers reached the place anticipating that the chief minister would convene a meeting of the cabinet subcommittee on fee reimbursement.
“They wanted to send a strong message by storming the camp office while the meeting was going on,” one of the protestors said.
The camp office security personnel informed the Punjagutta police about the incident and the arrested were shifted to the police station.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at the office.
About 20 ABVP activists were arrested when they tried to lay siege to the camp office earlier in the day.