As tensions between two communities mounted up in Medak of Telangana after Hindu groups attempted to prevent the arrival of cows intending for slaughter during Bakrid, police alerted and took preventive measures.
When three-time BJP MLA T Raja Singh announced that he will be visiting Medak on Sunday to visit injured persons, he was taken into preventive custody at Shamshabad earlier in the day, when he was returning to the city from Mumbai.
The Goshamahal MLA posted the video of cops taking him into custody at the airport, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah. A clash erupted between two communities over the alleged illegal transport of cows on Saturday, and section 144 has been imposed near Ramdas Chowrasta in Medak district.
The Telangana police also arrested BJP Medak district president Gaddam Srinivas, BJP Medak town president M Nayam Prasad, BJYM president and seven others in connection with the violence in Medak town.
According to reports, the management of Minhaj ul Uloom Madarsa in Medak had purchased cattle for sacrifice for Bakrid. Tension began when local members of Hindutva organizations protested near the madrasa after the sacrificial animals were brought in.
An hour after the incident, members of the Hindutva groups again reached the madrasa and protested. Soon, police reached the spot and dispersed the crowd.
Notably, Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which prohibits gathering of four or more people in an area, is usually implemented to avoid any protests that could lead to violence and riots.
“The police imposed Section 144 in the area and the situation is under control now,” Medak Superintendent of Police Office B Bala Swamy said. A few persons have already been taken into custody and an investigation is ongoing as cases are being registered against both parties and the situation is under control for now, the senior police officer said.
According to him, the scuffle broke out when the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leaders stopped the transportation of the cows, and instead of giving a complaint, they staged a protest.“The scuffle led to two persons receiving injuries. After that, both parties staged a protest on the road. The hospital where the injured persons were receiving treatment was also attacked,” Swamy said.
