Tension prevailed on Tuesday, when Telangana activists and supporters of Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal almost came to blows outside the Jubilee Hills police station.
Trouble started when Lagadapati visited the office of the Road Transport Authority to meet the additional commissioner Srinivas who was
attacked by the Telangana activists on Monday.
However, Lagadapati was taken into custody and shifted to the Jubilee Hills Police Station.
When the Congress MP was engaged in a heated argument with the police officials, seeking an explanation for his arrest, a group of Telangana advocates reached the police station, shouting "Jai Telangana" slogans.
The police clarified to Lagadapati that he was not arrested and that he was only taken into preventive custody.
However, Lagadapati was not convinced, and a heated argument ensued.
In order to avoid a direct confrontation between Lagadapati's supporters and Telangana activists, the police forcibly pushed Lagadapati into his car. But the Congress MP refused to leave the place.
Meanwhile, West Zone DCP Stephen Ravindra also reached the spot and asked the policemen to tow the MP's car, with the MP sitting in it.
The Telangana activists, however, started pelting stones on the car, breaking the rear wind-shield. The police then resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the rioters.
Later, addressing a press conference at his residence, Lagadapati blamed Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao for the incident. He accused KCR of inciting violence, and warned that Congress workers would retaliate if their leaders were attacked anywhere in Telangana.
Lagadapati alleged that KCR and his family members were trying to gain mileage from the Telangana issue. He urged Telangana leaders, especially those belonging to the Congress party, to come out of "KCR's clutches". He said KCR would pose a major threat to the careers of all Telangana leaders if his pace was not stopped now.
However, Congress MPs from the Telangana region P Rajiah and Manda Jagannatham criticised Lagadapati for Tuesday's violence.
They alleged that Lagadapati was trying to gain free publicity, and that he was trying to emerge as the "hero of Samaikhyandhra".
Meanwhile, Congress leaders from Seemandhra have called for a bandh in Vijayawada on Wednesday to protest against the attack on Lagadapati.
However, the Group - I exam and Dussehra celebrations will be exempted from the bandh. (INN)