Hyderabad, April 08: A five-member fact-finding team of BJP national leaders, led by its general secretary and Stat e party af fairs incharge Prakash Javadekar, was taken into preventive custody when they tried to proceed towards riot-hit areas in the Old City here today.
The BJP fact-finding team set up by party president Nitin Gadkari was here to visit riothit areas in the Old City which had witnessed communal clashes recently. Besides Javadekar, the team, comprising of Shanappa and Prahlad Joshi (both MPs), national spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman and secretary Dr K Laxman.
When they came out of the BJP office Central Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) P Harikumar clarified to BJP leaders that prohibitory orders were in force in the Old City and therefore they were not allowed to tour the area.
The BJP leaders who were not convinced with the police contention, picked up an argument with them.
“When Hyderabad MIM MP could hold a protest in curfew imposed areas why are you not allowing a fact-finding committee comprising three MPs of a national political party,’’ Nirmala Seetaraman argued with police. She alleged that the State Government and police were acting in a dictatorial manner.
After heated argument, BJP leaders and workers were taken into preventive custody and were later shifted to Nampally police station. Latter in the afternoon the committee received several representations at the BJP office from victims of the communal clashes.
The committee demanded the State Government to order high-level judicial inquiry into the clashes. The committee will submit its report to the party national president Nitin Gadkari
-Agencies