T'gana BJP prez taken into preventive custody ahead of visit to party leader's house in Nalgonda

Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao was on Tuesday taken into preventive custody by the police here to prevent him from travelling to Nalgonda to express solidarity with the party's district unit president N Varshith Reddy whose house was allegedly attacked by Congress workers.

"Congress has arrested me to stop me from visiting my Nalgonda district president after Congress goons ransacked his house. I wanted to visit him to extend my solidarity," Rao said in a post on X.

He alleged that the Congress government "arrested" him, showing utter disregard for democracy and constitutions.

Speaking to reporters at Gandhi Nagar Police Station where he was taken along with other leaders, he alleged that the Congress government "betrayed" people during the last 1,000 days of its rule.

“The Congress government is proudly celebrating 1,000 days of its rule. But if we look at the actual condition of Telangana today, people belonging to different sections are facing distress. The government must tell the people which of its major promises and guarantees have actually been fulfilled,” he said.

Rao and other leaders were released later.

Congress workers allegedly ransacked Varshith Reddy's house after BJP activists held a protest in front of state Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy's camp office in Nalgonda town on August 31.

Condemning Youth Congress activists throwing black colour on the gate of the BJP office in Hyderabad, the saffron party workers allegedly threw eggs and tomatoes, besides burning an effigy and partly tore a banner outside Venkat Reddy's office.

Meanwhile, BJP and Congress workers staged a protest and counter-protests in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana on Tuesday, as police used mild force and dispersed members of both parties.

The BJP workers allegedly damaged flower pots at the camp office of Congress MLA K Anil Kumar Reddy from Bhuvanagiri and also poured black ink at the entrance of the premises.

Police picked up as many as 14 BJP workers into custody in connection with the incident.

Reacting to the attack on the MLA's camp office, Congress activists gathered in front of the BJP office and tried to hurl stones, but the police intervened and prevented them from doing so, an official said.

The situation is under control, the official added.

BJP leaders submitted a memorandum to DGP C V Anand seeking a comprehensive investigation into the "attacks" on the party office here, Nalgonda district Party Office and the residence of BJP Nalgonda unit president N Varshith Reddy, and the alleged insult to the portrait of Sant Ravidas Ji.

Youth Congress activists on August 31 held a protest at the Telangana BJP's office here, throwing black colour on the office's rear gate, to condemn the alleged 'shuddhikaran ceremony' at the venue where AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally in Uttarakhand's Haldwani.