Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other party leaders were taken into preventive custody in this district on Thursday while proceeding to the Manjeera reservoir to highlight water scarcity in the region, police said.
The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president, also an MP, and others were detained as the lockdown norms do not allow political congregation and they did not seek permission as required in view of enforcement of the Police Act, they said.
Reddy later accused the TRS government of trying to muzzle the voice of opposition. Police stopped the vehicles in which Reddy and others were travelling near Patancheru, took them into preventive custody. They were taken to BDL Bhanoor police station and released in the evening, police said.
The leaders had announced the visit to the reservoir across Manjeera River, tributary of Godavari, party sources said.
Talking to reporters after being released, the TPCC chief alleged the TRS government was trying to suppress the voice of opposition. The police cited Union Home Ministrys notification to stop them. It only barred large congregations, but Congress sought to visit the reservoir with only a few leaders by maintaining social distancing, he added.
On Tuesday too, Reddy and other party leaders and workers were detained by police when they attempted to visit ongoing irrigation projects to inspect the progress of the work.
Reddy had then claimed TRS government had not completed projects started before 2014 (prior to formation of Telangana) during the then Congress regime.