Chaos erupted in Hyderabad after a protest by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress party, turned violent on Thursday, June 16. The NSUI had called for a protest in front of Raj Bhavan, the Governor’s official residence, in Hyderabad’s Somajiguda to protest the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) questioning of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. Hundreds of NSUI cadres had gathered outside the Raj Bhavan at Khairatabad early morning, following which police reached the spot and began detaining some of them.
The protest then began to turn violent, as visuals from the site showed hundreds of NSUI members crowded on the busy road, raising slogans praising the Congress and Rahul and Sonia Gandhi, and condemning Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Instances of violence and vandalism at the site emerged, with one visual showing a two-wheeler that had been set on fire in the middle of the road even as a public bus was approaching, purportedly by the NSUI members. Other videos showed the workers climbing on top of buses and raising slogans from there, and effigies being burnt.
Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury was also involved in the protest. In a video that is being widely circulated online, she is seen holding a police officer’s collar and questioning him even as others were seen trying to hold her back.
Security had been tightened around Raj Bhavan earlier, in light of the NSUI’s call for the protest. As per IANS, the police had made it clear that there was no permission given for the same. However, once the situation began to turn violent, teams of Rapid Action Force (RAF) officers and other additional police personnel were deputed at the spot. The city police also carried out a lathicharge to disperse the protesters.
Hyderabad: Protest by NSUI against questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the ED turned violent on Friday. Police carried out lathi charge to disperse protesters. #Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/nyekbAd1rZ
— TheNewsMinute (@thenewsminute) June 16, 2022
The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), headed by Revanth Reddy, has called for protests in front of the Union government offices in Hyderabad on Friday. The protests will be organised in front of railway stations, post offices and other offices of the Union government. Revanth Reddy alleged that the BJP government was misusing ED to target Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, calling the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the ED “vindictive politics”.