A gherao planned by the Congress at Raj Bhavan to express the party’s solidarity with the farming community protesting on the outskirts of Delhi against the three new controversial farm laws for nearly two months now turned out to be tense with police obstructing party leaders’ march at different places and also arresting them.
The protest was taken up by the State Congress in response to a call given by the All India Congress Committee. The police did not allow some Congress leaders including AICC secretary and former legislator S.A. Sampath Kumar to come out of their residences making it their ‘house arrest’ literally.
Police were deployed in large numbers at Raj Bhavan and at several places leading to it including at Panjagutta crossroads, Khairatabad crossroads, Lumbini Park and at Secretariat to prevent the Congress leaders’ march towards Raj Bhavan. The arrested those on a march towards Raj Bhavan at different places stating that the protest planned by the Congress has no permission.
Congress workers also came out on to the roads at a few places including at Nampally, Lumbini Park and others but were obstructed and bundled into the waiting police vans. The police arrested Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, working president A. Revanth Reddy, CLP Leader M. Bhatti Vikramarka, senior leaders Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, T. Jayaprakash Reddy and others near Lumbini Park. Besides, the police also held senior legislators T. Jeevan Reddy, D. Sridhar Babu former TPCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah, former APCC president V. Hanumantha Rao, former Union Minister Balaram Naik, AICC leaders Bose Raj and Srinivas and several others near Secretariat. A jostling also took place between the police and the Congress workers at Lumbini Park from where several senior leaders planned to march towards Raj Bhavan.
Speaking after his arrest Mr. Uttam Reddy said the Congress and other parties would mount pressure on the State government to continue with procurement operations. He also sought to know why the prices of petrol and diesel were increasing in the country.
Accusing the TRS of making a U-turn on the farm bills, Mr. Revanth Reddy said the BJP government at the Centre was playing with the lives of the farming community.