Telangana BJP chief placed under house arrest over temple demolition row

Hyderabad: Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao was placed under house arrest for several hours on Tuesday as a preventive measure to avoid any law and order problem over a temple demolition issue in the city, police said.

The house arrest, which lasted from morning to about 4 pm, was part of measures to prevent any unrest as some Hindu outfits have called for a special puja at the Peddamma temple in Banjara Hills which was demolished last month, they said.

Hindu outfits have been agitating against the temple demolition.

Taking strong exception to his house arrest, Ramchander Rao alleged on X that the tyranny witnessed during the Nizam rule is being seen again under the present Congress government led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

His "illegal house arrest" to prevent him from offering prayers at the reconstructed temple in Banjara Hills before participating in a 'Tiranga Yatra' amounts to an "attack on Hindu society", Rao said.

"The lack of respect for Hindus by the Congress has been proven once again. This struggle will continue for devotion, security, and national pride," the BJP leader said.

Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged that the house arrest of Ramchander Rao reflects the "anarchy" during the Congress rule.

"It is wickedness that the Congress government arrests leaders and activists of Hindu outfits who peacefully conduct puja instead of arresting the goondas who demolished the Peddamma temple," Sanjay Kumar's office quoted him as saying in a release. PTI SJR SJR ROH