The police on Sunday arrested Congress MPs from Telangana region when they staged dharna before the Chief Minister’s Camp office at Begumpet demanding unconditional release of all Telangana activists, who were arrested in connection with the Telangana March.
The Congress MPs questioned the rationale behind the arrest of activists despite giving police permission to organise the March peacefully. Condemning the police action, the MPs asked whether the State was ruled by the police or democratically elected representatives.
Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar warned Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy of serious consequences if he did not stop arrests and termed his actions as acts of cowardice. He said that the arrest of leaders would not deter the statehood demand and they would intensify agitation. Accusing the Chief Minister of not giving respect to Telangana MPs, they demanded that the Ministers in his cabinet resign from their posts immediately and join the Telangana March expressing solidarity to it.
The MPs arrested at CM’s camp Office includes Manda Jagannatham, G Vivek, T Rajaiah and Madhu Yashki Goud. Former MP Kesava Rao was also arrested by the police. The police later shifted them to SR Nagar and Begumpet police stations. The MPs were later released. (INN)