Congmen Raj Bhavan march foiled by cops
● THE LEADERS pushed their way through the barricades and tried to head for Raj Bhavan. City police gathered in strength and took the protesters into custody. They were taken to Saifabad, Nampally, Begumbazar, Abids and other stations.
Tension prevailed at the ‘Congress Chalo Raj Bhavan Gherao’ march here on Tuesday as police detained scores of party activists and leaders seeking withdrawal of the new farm laws introduced by the BJPled Union Government.
The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee organised the Chalo Raj Bhavan march as per a call from the party central leadership.
Among the detained were TPCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, MPs A. Revanth Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, AICC secretaries Bosu Raju and Srinivasan, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikaramarak, MLAs T. Jayaprakash ‘Jagga’ Reddy, D. Sridhar Babu, MLC T. Jeevan Reddy, former minister Shabbir Ali, former PCC presidents Ponnala Lakshmaiah, V, Hanumatha Rao, AICC secretaries G. Chinna Reddy and S.A. Samapath Kumar. Police said they were put into preventive custody.
The Congressmen set out from the Assembly to Raj Bhavan via NTR Marg. Police blocked their way at Lumbini Park and reminded the leaders that no permission had been obtained for the protest, especially in these Covid times.
The leaders pushed their way through the barricades and tried to head for Raj Bhavan. City police gathered in strength and took the protesters into custody. They were taken to Saifabad, Nampally, Begumbazar, Abids and other stations.
After their release, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Mallu Bhatti and Revanth Reddy addressed the media. The TPCC chief stated that the party fully backed the farmers' protest in Delhi against the new agriculture-related laws. “We are demanding withdrawal of the laws. We also demand a reduction in fuel price.” He criticised the TRS government saying it was not serious about paddy procurement despite the state having a `10lakh crore budget.
The Congress leader alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his family pocketed thousands of crores in the name of the Kaleshwaram and Mission Bhagiratha schemes. He demanded that the state government continue procuring farm products via IKP centres introduced by the previous Congress government.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said he was confident the Congress will win the coming MLC and Nagarjunasagar bypolls. “People will teach a lesson to TRS and KCR.” Bhatti demanded that the Centre withdraw the new farm laws and give relief to the common people by effecting a cut in the fuel price. Revanth Reddy alleged that the BJP government at the Centre was doing favours for corporates rather than helping improve the lives of the 80 crore ordinary people. He said the Modi government was taking decisions in ways as to favour the Ambanis and Adanis. “Modi and KCR are running governments the same way, and they are like two sides of a coin.”