Tension prevailed in Hyderabad’s Dharna Chowk on Friday, July 16, when protesting Congress leaders planned for a ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan’ rally against the fuel price hike. Congress leaders intended to take a rally from Indira Park to Raj Bhavan to submit their memorandum to the Governor against the increasing prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas. However, they were prevented from doing so as they did not have the requisite police permission and were allowed to only hold a protest meeting at Dharna Chowk.
Learning that Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan was not available, the Congress party, led by its new chief Revanth Reddy, wanted to take a rally to the Ambedkar statue at Tank Bund. The police, however, detained all the leaders and lodged them in different police stations. Ahead of the protest, some Congress leaders were also put under house arrest, leading to allegations of police highhandedness.
Speaking at the protest, TPCC president Revanth Reddy came down strongly against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “fleecing” people through exorbitant taxes on petrol and diesel. He alleged that both the state and the Union government were responsible for the rising fuel prices.
Revanth Reddy said that petrol prices in India were the highest compared to any country. “In India, it was Rs 105 per litre of which Rs 65 were being charged as taxes by Modi and KCR governments,” he was quoted as saying by The Hindu.
He further accused Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of abusing power by using the Intelligence office to threaten the Congress leaders, and warned Intelligence Inspector General of Police Prabhakar Rao.
“Intelligence Inspector General of Police Prabhakar Rao maintains a private army to keep a tab on Congress leaders. Let me suggest that he should also seek asylum elsewhere before KCR's rule ends because the Congress will come to power and expose him.” Revanth said, according to The New Indian Express.
The leaders who participated in the protest include: NS Bose Raju, Madhu Yaskhi Goud, Damodar Raja Narasimha, Maheshwar Reddy, Anjan Kumar Yadav, Geetha Reddy, T Jayaprakash Reddy, Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) and others.
Former TPCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah said KCR and PM Modi were equally responsible for the skyrocketing prices, while TPCC Campaign Committee chairman Madhu Yaskhi Goud accused KCR of having a feudal attitude that was being thrust on the downtrodden.