HYDERABAD: After several Congress leaders were arrested by Hyderabad police while they were on their way to take part in the Chalo Secretariat agitation on Thursday, former minister and senior leader Mohammad Ali Shabbir demanded that President’s Rule be imposed in the State. He reasoned that the TRS government had turned anti-democratic and was muzzling the voice of the Opposition.
The Chalo Secretariat programme was called to protest against the ineffective handling of Covid-19 crisis by the State government. The Congress also wants a waiver of power charges of consumers for the last three months, including farmers under Rythu Bandhu, without any conditions.
In a statement, Shabbir Ali said: “Freedom of expression is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India. By placing the Opposition leaders under house arrest, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is trying to suppress their voice. By confining leaders to their homes, the government has come out with a new form of dictatorship to bulldoze the Opposition.” As dawn broke on Thursday, tension built up at the houses of the Congress leaders with huge police force taking positions to prevent them from coming out and taking part in the Chalo Secretariat protest.
Those who were kept under arrest included TPCC president and Nalgonda MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy, CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, TPCC Working President and Malkajgiri MP A Revanth Reddy, Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and party senior leader Mohd Ali Shabbir.
Joke on democracy: Bhatti
Condemning the arrests of the Congress leaders, Bhatti Vikramarka described the action as a ‘Cruel joke on democracy’ and revealed that he would move a privilege motion in the House for detaining him while he was trying to represent the people’s problems even though he was CLP leader. “I will fight it out legally if I do not get justice in the Legislative Assembly.
I have a right to meet the Chief Minister and Ministers officially. But the police prevented us. This is highly reprehensible.” He stated that they had sought prior appointments with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy and Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy. How can the police block our way and keep us under house arrest? “We even got an appointment with the Agriculture Minister,” he said.
Sridhar Babu taken to police station after protest
In the morning, the police detained the Manthani MLA D Sridhar Babu at Ravindra Bharati and shifted him to Ramgopalpet police station, when he was on his way to the Assembly. There was tension when the MLA resisted arrest and squatted on the road, protesting against the strongarm tactics of the police.
Probe sought into death of Dalit man in custody
Meanwhile, the party demanded a CBI inquiry into the custodial death of Seelam Rangaiah, a Dalit, who died allegedly due to police torture. In an open letter to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Uttam Kumar, Bhatti Vikramarka, Sridhar Babu, former Deputy CM Damodar Rajanarasimha and SC Cell Chairman Preetam said the circumstantial evidence clearly showed that Rangaiah had died under mysterious circumstances and allegedly due to third-degree torture by the police.
Cong leaders, farmers all set for Chalo Narmala
Rajanna-Sircilla: Congress leaders and farmers in Rajanna-Sircilla are getting ready for the Chalo Narmala Project and have sought permission for the protest to avoid any arrest, TPCC working president Ponnam Prabhakar said on Thursday. Farmers of Yellareddypet, Mustabad, Ghambhiraopet and Veernapalli will visit the project, which has been left out of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), on Saturday.
Ponnam Prabhakar questioned as to why the Narmala Project was excluded from KLIS package 10 when Ranganayaka Sagar Project was completed. He alleged that the Telangana government had set up sufficient irrigation facilities. Why then did it neglect the Upper Manair Project in Sircilla, he asked. Prabhakar said he had complained to the Human Rights Commission about Opposition leaders being illegally arrested every time MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao visits Sircilla