Opposition Parties Slam Kodandaram's Arrest

After the Adibhatla police arrested TJAC chairman M Kodandaram while he was on his way to Warangal to participate in the sixth phase of the Amaraveerula Spoorthi Yatra today, opposition leaders sprung to his defence.

Upon knowing of the development, AICC secretary V Hanumantha Rao went to the Adibhatla police station to meet Kodandaram, who was shifted there after the arrest. The police however refused to allow VHR to meet Kodandaram. Protesting the police attitude, VHR staged a dharna in front of the police station along with Congress leaders. The police then arrested him, too, and shifted him to the Manchala police station.

Telangana TDP working president Revanth Reddy too condemned the arrest of Kodandaram, and termed it undemocratic. He said that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao was trying to crush the agitation of the unemployed youth and the Opposition leaders with help of the police.

"KCR had said before coming to power that there would be no agitations or lathicharges in the new Telangana state. But contrary to his promise, he is trying to stifle the voice of the people who are expressing their outrage through the use of lathis," the TDP leader alleged.

Reddy said that refusing permission for the yatra for martyrs of Kodandaram was unwarranted, and condemned the arrests of the academic and other JAC leaders.

The arrest of the TJAC leaders and the shifting of Dharna Chowk from Indira Park reflected the dictatorial attitude of KCR, Reddy said.

Congress MLA from Alampur S A Sampath Kumar, and Telangana CPI Secretary and former MLA Chada Venkat Reddy, too, condemned the arrest.