TDP MLAs arrested for staging demo near Assembly

Suspended TDP MLAs were today arrested for allegedly causing nuisance and staging demos in front of the Assembly premises.

Floor Leader of Telugu Desam Party in Telangana Assembly Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Deputy Leader A. Revanth Reddy and at least four other MLAs, were arrested as they were staging a demonstration at the Gun Park outside the Assembly Complex in Hyderabad on Tuesday morning.

All the TDP Members in the Assembly with the exception of R. Krishnaiah are currently suspended from the House for the entire duration of the Budget Session. Following their consistent refusal to tender an apology for allegedly insulting the National Anthem on Saturday, the Speaker S. Madhusudhana Chary ordered their suspension on Monday.

On Tuesday, the TDP MLAs gathered at the Martyrs memorial with black ribbons tied across their mouths to symbolise 'gags', protesting among other things, against what they termed 'Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's reluctance to include a woman and those from the SCs and STs in his Cabinet.

After a while of slogan-shouting, police personnel who were present in strength, used a rope to cordon them off and announced that they were being arrested. When they resisted, Mr. Dayakar Rao and Mr. Revanth Reddy were physically lifted into a waiting police van. Other MLAs including Arikapudi Gandhi, Madhavaram Krishna Rao, Manchireddy Kishan Reddy and S. Rajender Reddy walked behind.