Surekha protests arrest of CPM leaders

Warangal: Former minister and senior Congress leader Konda Surekha staged a dharna at the Mills Colony police station here on Thursday, in protest against the arrest of three CPM leaders.

Konda Surekha questioned the police about the rationale behind the arrest of CPM Warangal district committee member Maloth Sagar, M Prathyusha and G Odelu. “The BRS leaders threatened the hut-dwellers to join their party, leaving the CPM. The BRS leaders also tried to lure the hut-dwellers to provide ownership titles and other amenities to them. It’s not fair to arrest anybody without proper cause,” Konda Surekha said.

Speaking to The Hans India, Sagar said that the Warangal East MLA Nannapuneni Narender has been harassing us for some time. The MLA forcibly removed the CPM flags and erected BRS flags, he alleged. The police foisted around 25 false cases against the CPM workers at the behest of BRS leaders. The hut-dwellers were also attacked by some goondas belonging to the BRS, he added.

According to reports, the police arrested CPM Warangal district committee member Maloth Sagar, M Prathyusha and G Odelu in the wee hours of Thursday. Sagar is the leader of nearly 2,500 families who occupied and erected their huts in 50 acres belonging to the government at Jakkaloddi village in the 43rd Division of the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) as part of CPM’s Bhu Poratam (struggle for land) two years ago.

The Congress and the CPM cadres withdrew their protest after the police released Sagar, Prathyusha and Odelu in the evening.