High drama, tension at TPCC chief’s residence, Cong workers prevented in Erravelli

Hyderabad: The police on Monday arrested Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy and prevented him from proceeding to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao's farmhouse in Erravelli to conduct ‘Rachabanda’ with farmers on paddy cultivation and stage a protest there against the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government's decision not to procure paddy in rabi.

The police placed Revanth under house arrest early on Monday and a huge police force was deployed at his residence in Jubilee Hills.

As soon as the TPCC chief emerged from his house, the police forcibly took him to a vehicle, leading to strong protest from Congress workers who had gathered there. High tension prevailed as they tried to stop a police vehicle carrying their leader. This led to pushing and jostling between the two sides. Later, Revanth Reddy and others were shifted to Amberpet police station.

The Congress workers, however, gave a slip to police and managed to reach Chief Minister's farmhouse. Later, they were arrested and shifted to different police stations in Siddipet.

Around 5 am on Monday, the Jubilee Hills police, along with the Task Force and other wings, rushed to Road No 44 in Jubilee Hills.

All roads leading to Road No 44 of Jubilee Hills were blocked by the police erecting barricades and no one was allowed towards Revanth Reddy's residence. The followers, who reached the place, were also denied entry by the police to Revanth Reddy's residence. With a number of activists and followers squatting at the place, the police put Revanth Reddy under house arrest asking him not to come out of his residence in view of law and order issues.

Around 12.30 pm, Revanth Reddy came out of his residence and had discussions with the police. As the police prevented him from coming out of his residence, the TPCC president explained that he would go to Gandhi Bhavan. As police did not allow him to go out, Revanth Reddy and his followers tried to break the police cordon.

Heavy police forces deployed at the place lifted Revanth Reddy and others. However, the activists sat in front of the police vehicle in which Revanth Reddy was being carrying and demanded release of Revanth Reddy. The police detained a number of activists and shifted them to Amberpet police station as preventive measures.

Minutes after Revanth Reddy was shifted to Amberpet police station, Congress activists thronged the station and staged a dharna. Vehicular movement partially came to a standstill at Amberpet after the activists staged a rasta roko in front of the Amberpet police station.

Similarly, the police put state women Congress president Sunita Rao under house arrest in the city. Former MLA Ram Mohan Reddy was also put under house arrest at Manikonda.

Meanwhile, the Congress leaders and activists managed to reach the Chief Minister's farm house in Erravalli by giving a slip to the police.

The Murkook police of Siddipet, who deployed heavy forces, could not control the mob. Tight security was placed at the main road leading to Erravalli and barricades were erected.

The police only allowed residents to enter the place by verifying identity cards. The police allowed only locals based on their identity. If any new person was found, the police detained them as a precautionary measure. Congress activists reached the farmhouse of the Chief Minister on foot and some of them rode bicycles. As many as 60 Congress activists led by Siddipet district Congress president T. Narsa Reddy were taken into custody by the police.