Several Congress leaders marching to KCR’s residence in Hyderabad detained by cops

The Hyderabad police on Monday foiled the attempts made by Telangana Congress leaders to lay siege on Pragat Bhavan, CM K Chandrasekhar Rao’s official residence, in support of the striking Telangana RTC employees. Prominent Congress leaders including Congress MP Revanth Reddy,  former Union Minister Sarve Sathyanarayana, senior Congress leader Shabbir Ali, among others were put under house arrest on Monday.

MP Revanth Reddy managed to escape from house arrest but was later caught and detained. Dramatic visuals from outside his residence show him zipping away on a motorcycle even as many try to stop him from fleeing. He was later caught at Pragathi Bhavan and detained.

@revanth_anumula escapes from house arrest on bike to participate in Seize of Pragathi Bhavan. Congress gave call for protest in support of striking #TSRTC staff. pic.twitter.com/5TGXy4k3y1

— CharanTeja (@CharanT16) October 21, 2019

“The rule of CM KCR, who is playing with the lives of thousands of RTC employees, should end. He should start discussions with RTC employees, he should compensate the families of the employees who have died. To protest his dictatorship and his autocratic rule, we had said we will touch the gates of Pragathi Bhavan and today we did it. Tomorrow, for sure, the 4.5 crore people in Telangana will bring down Pragathi Bhavan," Revanth Reddy told the media as he was being detained. 

Meanwhile, heavy security measures have been deployed across the roads that lead to CM’s official residence in Begumpet area of Hyderabad. Special forces and City Task Force has been checking each vehicle that is going via the route to prevent any protesters from reaching the CM’s residence.

On Monday, areas like Panjagutta, Khairatabad and Somajiguda, along with other prime junctions, were kept under vigil. Several youth Congress leaders and Osmania University student leaders were detained as they carried out a rally against the Telangana government.

Congress leader and former MP Anjani Kumar Yadav and former MLC Ramulu Naik were detained from Begumpet area as the duo, along with others, tried to march towards Pragathi Bhavan.

Officials have also declared that metro trains will not halt at Begumpet metro station, which is less than a kilometre away from the CM’s residence, due to "security reasons."

Several Congress leaders were taken into custody across the state in respective districts to prevent untoward incidents. Sangareddy MLA Jagga Reddy was deatained near Somajiguda before he reached CM's residence.

The Congress strike was called to support the 48,000 TSRTC employees who are on an indefinite strike seeking that 26 of their demands, including the merger of the Road Transport Corporation with the government, be fulfilled. The strike, that has been on for over two weeks now, has created a crisis in the public transport system despite the government's alternative measures, like appointing private drivers.

The tussle between TSRTC employees and the state government does not seem to be ending anytime soon as there is no progress in the discussions being held between them. Earlier this week, the High Court of Telangana asked the state government to sort out the matter in three days, by initiating discussions with RTC employees unions.