Hyderabad police arrest Revanth Reddy ahead of dharna chowk protest

HYDERABAD: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Revanth Reddy was arrested by Hyderabad police on Monday after he made an attempt to leave his home for a scheduled protest against the issues sarpanches confront at Dharna chowk.

Tension prevailed at Gandhi Bhavan in Telangana after police detained party workers for raising slogans against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for not allowing them to protest at Dharna chowk.

"The police storming into our houses like KCR's private army and lifting is a proof of the rowdy state in Telangana which we have fought for with a lot of aspirations," TPCC president Revanth Reddy said on Twitter.

Revanth Reddy tweeted, "Chief Minister doesn’t come out of Pragati Bhavan nor common man has access to it. If we question,we face cases and house arrests. Police surrounded my house & all important leaders to prevent from a dharna against the plight of Sarpanchs in the state. Democracy. Where are you?

The TPCC has called for a protest at 'dharna chowk' on behalf of the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Raj Sanghatan to press the sarpanches' demand for funds to be released. Revanth Reddy had called on Congress leaders to stage dharnas at all mandal and district headquarters, demanding the immediate release of funds.

The TPCC requested permission to hold the dharna. The State Government, on the other hand, imposed restrictions and barred the leaders from leaving their homes. The police had to intervene because the TPCC had warned that the dharna would go ahead despite the rejection of permission.

A. Revanth Reddy, vice-president Mallu Ravi, and other senior Congress leaders were placed under house arrest ahead of the protest after the police denied permission.