Hyderabad, July 22 (IANS) Hyderabad Police on Wednesday detained Telangana Congress leaders as they were marching towards Lok Bhavan to protest against the detention of Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders during the protest in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud, state minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, government advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Balmori Venkat, Rohin Reddy and other Congress leaders were detained.
Police shifted TPCC president and ministers to Nampally Police Station. Remaining leaders and workers were taken to Punjagutta Police Station.
On the ‘Chalo Lok Bhavan’ call given by TPCC president, a large number of Congress leaders and workers gathered at Indira Gandhi’s statue at Necklace Road and marched towards Lok Bhavan.
The Congress leaders were carrying banners and party flags and raising slogans.
Ministers Damodar Rajanarasimha, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Mohammed Azharuddin also participated in the rally.
The police stopped the rally at Khairatabad Crossroads.
State Congress chief told media persons that the detention of Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders is an attack on democracy.
Stating that Rahul Gandhi is fighting for the future of the country, the TPCC chief said the Modi government will fail in its attempts to stop him.
Srinivas Reddy said Telugu people were condemning the detention of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and other Congress leaders.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Konda Surekha participated in a protest in Hanamkonda.
Deputy Chief Minister termed the police lathi charge on students protesting in New Delhi as ‘inhuman’. He said students were peacefully protesting to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET question paper leak.
Vikramarka said people were expecting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would either sack Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Cabinet or make him resign, but instead the government tried to muzzle the voice of youth, protesting in a democratic manner.
In Khammam, Congress leaders took out a huge rally. Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Congress leaders participated in the rally.
Earlier, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy led a protest rally in Kodangal in Vikarabad district. He reiterated the demand for the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.
–IANS
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