Rail roko begins in Telangana; TRS, Congress leaders detained

The first day of rail roko in Telangana resulted in police arresting 2,382 protestors, including eight MPs and four MLAs. Though the protestors have been facing arrests and other police action, this time even senior Congress MPs detained for rail blockade.

The Telangana joint action committee (JAC) had called for a three-day rail roko starting Saturday demanding statehood to the region. Thousands of protestors across Telangana gathered on railway tracks in the region early on Saturday. However, the police and paramilitary forces deployed along the tracks took protestors into custody and shifted them to police stations.

Of the 2,382 protestors arrested, 249 were charged under specific sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Railways Act 1989. Those facing specific charges include senior Congress MPs S Rajaiah, Vivek and TRS MP Vijayashanti apart from TRS MLAs Harish Rao and KT Rama Rao.

TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao’s son and Sircilla MLA KT Rama Rao was arrested while attempting to reach home minister Sabita Indra Reddy’s residence. He has been charged with abusing a police officer on duty.  The police have also slapped cases on KCR and the JAC convener M Kodandaram for inciting people to block the tracks.

According to sources, police started detaining several leaders in Telangana starting midnight of Friday under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar and former state minister T Jeevan Reddy  have been remanded in custody for 14 days by Karimnagar court. Prabhakar was arrested on Saturday while he was trying to participate in the rail roko called by pro-Telangana groups.

The cops’ attempt to detain leaders is likely to result in more trouble. For instance, after the arrest of TRS MLA and KCR’s nephew Harish Rao near Hyderabad, about 4,000 protestors attacked the police station that was housing him forcing the police to release him immediately.