TDP MPs detained while marching towards PM's residence

A group of 21 Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs were on Sunday detained by police while marching towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence to demand special status for Andhra Pradesh.

All the MPs -- including Ashok Gajapathi Raju and J.C. Diwakar Reddy -- were bundled into a bus by police from Race Course Road in the heart of Delhi from where they set out to reach the Prime Minister's residence.

The MPs were taken to the Tughlaq Road police station from where they were released two hours after their detention.

"We detained 21 TDP leaders marching towards the Prime Minister's house shouting slogans and waving placards in the morning. They were released by 1 p.m.," a police official said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reached at Tughlaq Road police station and criticised the arrest of TDP MPs.

"It is a very sad moment as all the TDP leaders who had gone to meet the Prime Minister were held by police. Their demand is justified," Kejriwal said.

The TDP staged a similar protest at the chamber of Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday after they failed to get an appointment with her. They were forcefully removed.

On Thursday, the Rajya Sabha witnessed high-voltage drama even after its proceedings were adjourned for the day as the TDP members continued their protest over their demand for special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

The hours-long drama ended at night only after the TDP MPs were marshalled out from the House.

The TDP members described their eviction from the House as an "insult to Andhra Pradesh".

Meanwhile, all five Lok Sabha MPs of YSR Congress party resigned this week and are on a hunger strike at Andhra Bhavan in Delhi.

The MPs are Y.V. Subbareddy, Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy, Y.S. Avinash Reddy, V. Varaprasad Rao and P.V. Mithun Reddy.

Since then, TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu hinted that unlike YSRCP, his party MPs would not resign. Naidu also said that his party MPs would instead continue to fight and agitate and not run away from the scene.

Launching an attack on the Centre, Naidu warned that the TDP will agitate more vociferously, if the central government didn't accord special category staus to Andhra Pradesh.

--IANS

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