PM visit: Cong leaders taken into preventive custody

HYDERABAD: Several leaders representing frontal organisations of the Congress were taken into preventive custody, while some others placed under house arrest ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city on Saturday.

The leaders, who were actively involved in protest programmes and had given calls to block the Prime Minister’s convoy, were taken into custody early morning. They included NSUI state president Balmoor Venkat Rao, Youth Congress state president K. Shiv Sena Reddy and chairman of party SC cell N. Preetham.

Meanwhile, others like state Mahila Congress president M. Sunitha Rao were placed under house arrest.

Party leaders strongly condemned the step and asked why Telangana police had arrested them like ‘criminals’.

“Telangana police have arrested our Youth Congress president and NSUI president because of the PM's tour. Are they criminals? We will not tolerate this nonsense. Telangana CM, State Police needs to be answerable for this! (sic),” tweeted AICC in-charge, Manikrao Thakre.

After their release, they said that the detention was part of a ‘conspiracy’ and making scapegoats of innocent people.

“We filed a house motion so that the court allows Karimnagar SSC student, who was debarred for five years, to write the remaining examinations. He has been made a victim in the Hindi paper leak issue. Court gave interim orders and this will allow him to write the remaining exams,” he explained.