Policemen in Hyderabad took some men into custody for questioning Minister KT Rama Rao during his visit to Malakpet area. The men approached him and the cops tried to keep them away. Those who persisted were rounded up. However, the cops present at the scene denied the incident.
According to a local activist named Syed Bilal, he was leading a group of men who live in nearby areas and wanted to share their grievances. Bilal said that he started questioning KTR about the river’s rejuvenation and sewage treatment plant projects. The cops thought he was asking uncomfortable questions, so they forcefully took him away with the approval of higher-ranking police officers.
Bilal explained that even though he kept his distance from the Minister, he thought he would end up in jail based on how he was taken away in a police vehicle. However, he was released after the Minister left.
Bilal raised doubts about the funds being used for various projects as part of the Musi Riverfront Development. He claimed that a significant amount of money was allocated in the recent TS budget for the beautification and development of the river. However, he said that the government has not started the work, including the construction of a retaining wall to protect slums along the river banks.
Bilal, who is also the city vice president of Human Rights Forum, criticized the behavior of the police and argued that people have the right to express their grievances when a Minister meets the public. He demanded that the authorities immediately start constructing the retaining wall along the Musi River.
When The Hans India contacted the police to confirm the incident, they denied that anything happened. ACP (Malakpet), G Shyam Sunder stated that there was no detention or incident during KTR’s visit.
