'War has begun against BRS govt', says Union Min Kishan Reddy

Hyderabad: High drama prevailed here on Thursday a s Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy along with other party leaders sat on the road after being stopped by police from proceeding to inspect a BRS government housing site.

Taking strong exception to the police action against him and other party leaders who were put under "house arrest", Reddy declared that "the war has begun" against the BRS government.

With Reddy calling for a visit to the site of a government housing complex with double bedroom homes meant for the poor at Batasingaram here, the day began with police putting several BJP leaders either under "house arrest" or taken into preventive custody.

Reddy, who condemned the police action against his party leaders in a tweet, landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here from Delhi and was heading straight to the construction site, but was stopped at the Outer Ring Road.

Amid downpour, Reddy squatted on the road along with other party leaders, miffed at being prevented from going to the site.

"Am I a criminal? Am I a terrorist? I have a right to go anywhere in India," Reddy told Commissioner of Rachakonda Police D S Chauhan who tried to persuade the Union Minister and other leaders to vacate the place.

Reddy was later physically lifted by police and taken away from the place to the state BJP headquarters at Nampally in the city. Speaking to reporters, Reddy lambasted the BRS government for allegedly failing to deliver on its promise of constructing two bedroom houses for poor even after being in power for nine long years.

BJP had planned to launch an agitation on the issue at a later date after he formally took over as state BJP president but wanted to see the construction site at Batasingaram on Thursday as the construction remained incomplete, he said.

"This is not even a protest. When I wanted to visit (the site), I don't know why hundreds of policemen were deployed outside our office," he said.

"I was followed from airport (after landing). Am I a criminal? Am I an anti-social element? Am I a terrorist? Did I ever violate any law in my life? Police jeeps were stopped before my vehicle, road was blocked. Police Commissioner, DCPs, hundreds of policemen put a blockade," he said.

When he got down from the vehicle, he was taken into custody without giving any reason, he said. (PTI)