Congress leaders detained as protest intensifies over ‘Dharna Chowk’ in Hyderabad

Police detained leaders of Telangana unit of Congress party here on Monday as the opposition intensified its protest over shifting of ‘Dharna Chowk’, a popular venue of protests in Hyderabad.

Tension prevailed at Tank Bund in the heart of the city as several leaders sat on satyagraha at the state of B.R. Ambedkar but police evicted them on the ground that there is no permission for the protest.

Telangana state Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, former ministers Bhatti Vikramarka, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, D. Nagender and former MPs V. Hanumantha Rao and Anjan Kumar Yadav were among those detained and shifted to different police stations.

The Congress party had called for the protest to demand Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government to revive ‘Dharna Chowk’ at Indira Park in the heart of the city.

Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that TRS government is suppressing the voice of opposition by shifting ‘Dharna Chowk’ to the city outskirts.

“This move is undemocratic. The government is not ready to tolerate the voice of dissent,” he told reporters.

The Congress leaders said TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who organised many protests in the city including Million March during Telangana movement, was not snatching the rights of the opposition parties.