Hyderabad, Oct 8 (PTI) Several ruling Congress leaders in Telangana, including ministers, besides leaders of other INDIA bloc parties were on Thursday detained by police as they marched towards the Lok Bhavan here during a ‘Save Democracy’ rally, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls.
Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Jupally Krishna Rao, Vakiti Srihari, state Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud and other leaders and workers were taken into preventive custody and shifted to the Punjagutta police station here after they were stopped near the Lok Bhavan.
Prabhakar tried to go ahead by crossing the rope and other barricades erected by police near the Lok Bhavan.
The ministers and other leaders continued their protest in the Punjagutta police station, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The rally, organised as part of the INDIA bloc’s ‘Save Democracy’ campaign, was held from the Indira Gandhi statue in Necklace Road here to the Lok Bhavan.
The protesting leaders and workers were later released from the police station, a police official said.
Earlier, ministers, including Prabhakar and state Congress president Goud led a rally of INDIA bloc parties from the Indira Gandhi statue in the Necklace Road to the Lok Bhavan.
The police stopped the protesters near the Lok Bhavan by installing barricades.
The leaders and workers of CPI, CPI(M), MCPI(U), Telangana Jana Samiti and other parties also took part in the rally.
Holding placards and party flags, they raised slogans against PM Modi, the Chief Election Commissioner and others.
During the rally, a Congress worker sat on a donkey wearing a mask of the CEC which the party described as ‘donkey protest’.
Speaking to reporters before being taken away by the police, Goud alleged that PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are trying to win elections using the Election Commission.
The agitation will continue till Kumar quits, he added.
Minister Prabhakar demanded the resignation of Kumar and said that the Election Commission should function transparently. PTI SJR VVK SJR KH
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