Hyderabad: Police took Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao into custody on Sunday when he attempted to leave for Banswada town in Kamareddy district after a recent communal clash.
Officers had placed him under house arrest at his Tarnaka residence on Saturday night. However, he tried to proceed to Banswada on Sunday morning. Police stopped his convoy and moved him into custody.
Tension rose at his residence as BJP supporters gathered and opposed the police action. Consequently, officers detained several protesters at the spot to prevent escalation. Later, authorities shifted Rao to Bollarum Police Station.
Ramchander Rao custody follows Banswada unrest
Earlier, Rao told reporters that he planned to visit Kamareddy to express solidarity with BJP MLA K. Venkata Ramana Reddy. He alleged that the MLA was attacked during the unrest in Banswada.
Moreover, he claimed that nearly 100 BJP workers were arrested in the town during a bandh called by Hindu organisations. The communal clash had erupted on Friday, which increased tension across the district.
Meanwhile, police maintained a tight vigil in sensitive areas of Banswada. The Ramchander Rao custody later triggered a political face-off between the BJP and the state administration.
