Police today foiled attempts by BJP leaders to "lay siege" to the Pragathi Bhavan, the official residence complex-cum-camp office of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, protesting Swami Paripoornananda's externment.
Several of them were taken into 'preventive' custody, police said.
Among those taken into 'perventive' custody were BJP state president and MLA K Laxman and legislators G Kishan Reddy and Chintala Ramachandra Reddy.
BJP MLC Ramchander Rao and MLA Raja Singh were also prevented from proceeding towards Pragathi Bhavan, they said.
The Telangana BJP had given a call for 'Chalo Pragathi Bhavan' and wanted to submit a memorandum to the chief minister.
"The BJP leaders and their followers were stopped by police when they were planning to proceed towards Pragathi Bhavan as part of their plan to lay siege to it.
There was no permission to hold any protests (rallies) and keeping in mind law and order, disturbance to traffic they were taken into preventive custody," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) P Viswa Prasad told PTI.
Slamming the police action, BJP general secretary Muralidhar Rao said "Illegal arrest of BJP leaders in Telangana hurting democratic values (sic).
KCR (chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) does not give time even to MLAs. Those who come to meet are arrested. Is it a democratic rule that is going on in Telangana or autocratic rule of Nizam," Rao said on a social networking site.
BJP leaders had last week condemned Paripoornananda's externment and met governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana E S L Narasimhan and submitted a memorandum seeking withdrawal of orders.
The head of Sri Peetham of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh was externed from Hyderabad city last week for six months under the Telangana Prevention of Anti-Social and Hazardous Activities Act for allegedly making provocative statements.
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