The police confined that former MLA and All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary A. Sampath Kumar was under house arrest at Shanthinagar in Vaddepalli mandal of Gadwal district from the wee hours of Monday ahead of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s visit to the district headquarters to inaugurate the integrated District Collectorate.
Congress has alleged that he and other leaders of erstwhile Mahabubnagar district were arrested in view of the Chief Minister’s visit.
Speaking to reporters at his camp office, Mr. Sampath alleged that several opposition leaders were arrested by the police illegally and it was not right on the part of the government. “The BRS Government has been overreacting when someone represents the public voice and intends to submit a memorandum. Whether it is opposition leaders, student union leaders or farmers - every voice is being suppressed and arrested,” said Mr. Sampath demanding that the government release those arrested by the police immediately.
“This is nothing but suppressing the democratic rights and dictatorial tendency. The Chief Minister has been visiting Gadwal district in the evening and police arrested our leaders since morning. They are not allowed to raise the public issues,” said Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) working president Mahesh Kumar Goud in a release here.
TPCC senior vice-president Mallu Ravi condemned the arrest of Mr. Sampath, asking what message was being sent to people by the Chief Minister by arresting Congress leaders at the time of inaugurating the newly constructed Collectorate and SP office buildings.
