Police take MLA Zameer Ahmed into custody in Ballari

Police on Monday took MLA Zameer Ahmed into their custody from the outskirts of the city when he arrived to stage a dharna (protest) in front of Ballari City BJP MLA G Somashekhar Reddy's house against derogatory statements made by Reddy at an awareness programme on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act organised in the city on January 3.

Irked over the police action, hundreds of Congress workers and the people belonging to minority community staged a protest near Kudatini and also made a futile bid to prevent the police van that was taking Zameer Amhmend to Toranagallu airstrip.

Speaking to the reporters here, Zameer said, we will not disturb peace and have respect for police. "Let them arrest us if they wanted to do so. Let them pump bullets if they wanted. I have arrived here after the derogatory statements made by Somashekhar Reddy," he told.

The police took Zameer into their custody near Country Club of the city. As the local Congress leaders opposed to the entry of Zameer into the City, his supporters had arrived from other places.

The Congress leaders had submitted a memorandum to the Superintendent of Police C K Baba urging him to arrest the MLA for his hate speech. MLC K C Kondaiah had openly urged the district administration not to give permission to Zameer Ahmed to stage a dharna.