Cops foil Congress’ protest against Pegasus spyware in Telangana

Party’s ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan’ march from Indira Park interrupted by cops; many party leaders detained, some placed under house arrest

TPCC leader Jagga Reddy and other Congress members on a protest march to Raj Bhavan, in Hyderabad on Thursday. (Photo | EPS/S Senbagapandiyan)

HYDERABAD:  ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan,’ a protest march against the alleged snooping by Union government through the Pegasus spyware, was taken out by State Congress leaders from Indira Park to Raj Bhavan on Thursday, but was foiled before its completion by the police. Braving the rain, thousands of activists representing various wings of the party started gathering near Indira Park, before the top leaders arrived. However, heavy police presence and barricading hindered their movement and eventually a few protestors were arrested, even as some of them got injured in the melee.  

Top leaders including CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, MLAs Jagga Reddy and Seethakka, PCC working president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, AICC programme implementation committee chairman A Maheshwar Reddy, senior vice president Mallu Ravi and others were rounded up and shifted to Abids police station, while they were on their way to Raj Bhavan. 

TPCC leader Jagga Reddy and other Congress members on a protest march to Raj Bhavan, in Hyderabad on Thursday | S Senbagapandiyan

The leaders said the protest was against the undemocratic tendency of the Central government to collect personal information of people by hacking mobile phones through the Pegasus spyware.Meanwhile, some of the Youth Congress leaders who attempted to barge into Raj Bhavan were also taken into custody. 
Earlier during the day, several leaders and party activists who were on their way to the city from various districts were taken into preventive custody, while some others were placed under house arrest. 

NSUI State president Venkat Balmoor, who was also present at Indira Park, suffered a rib fracture during the melee when the police tried to arrest him. He was rushed to a private hospital for treatment. Later in the evening, PCC president A Revanth Reddy, who is in New Delhi for attending Parliament sessions, condemned the ‘inhuman behavior’ of Telangana police through a tweet. 

Tagging the Telangana DGP, he tweeted, “I strongly condemn the inhuman behavior of Telangana police that has resulted in fracturing rib of our NSUI president. I demand action on the police personnel involved.” [sic]