Hyderabad: Police on Monday took into custody TSRTC JAC convener Ashwatthama Reddy and 30 others who went to pay homage at the Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial at Gun Park in front of the State Legislative Assembly.
A huge police force was deployed at Gun Park, Dharna Chowk Park and all RTC union offices. Tension prevailed when a large number of RTC workers flocked to Gun Park and police took Ashwatthama Reddy and others into custody.
Criticising their arrest, JAC leaders said it was a blatant violation of human rights. “Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is beha-ving like an autocrat,” one of them said. Employees who were detained were shifted to different police stations in the city and later released.
Police maintained that it has not given any permission to conduct dharnas or protests. “We took the RTC leaders into custody as a precautionary measure and released them on personal bond,” a police official said.
Earlier, JAC leaders approached Central Zone DCP Vishwaprasad for permission to go on a hunger strike to protest against the Chief Minister’s decision to sack more than 48,000 workers. The permission was, however, denied.
Ashwatthama Reddy said the JAC for now would postpone its protests and discuss its future plan of action.
