Saffron brigade tries to storm US consulate over militant tag

[Mitron]

HYDERABAD: Angered by the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) tagging the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal as militant organisations, activists in the city on Monday tried to storm into the US consulate office at Begumpet.

Activists of VHP and Bajrang Dal divided themselves into smaller groups to 'hoodwink' the security at the US consulate and barge into the office. They shouted slogans like "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Jai Sri Ram". However, they were stopped by the police.

Around 100 policemen, including Task Force, were deployed to stop the activists some 150 to 200 metres ahead of the US consulate. Forces were deployed at the US consulate office till late in the evening.

Over 25 persons, including state VHP president M Rama Raju and state Bajrang Dal convenor Subhash Chanderji, were arrested when they tried to stage a protest in front of the consulate. They were then taken to the Bolarum police station. "A case has been booked under Section 151 of the CrPC," said S Maheshwar, circle inspector of Bolarum police station.

"Though the situation is under control, we kept the policemen on alert till evening. Several preventive arrests have been made," said S Srinivas, additional DCP, North Zone.

The activists wanted to stage a protest in front of the US consulate and give a memorandum to the authorities about their organisations and how they function.

 

"The CIA tagged us as militant organisations. We have the right to clarify and also hold a protest. We are nationalists and not terrorists. We wanted to carry out a peaceful protest and submit a memorandum about the services we do to people but the police arrested us before that," said Kailash Sajjan, media convenor of Bajrang Dal.

 

Later, a few other activists went to meet those arrested at the police station but were not allowed. "Even murderers are allowed to meet visitors but we were not. We just wanted to check whether our activist friends needed water or something else," said Kailash Sajjan.

"We did not allow them to meet to maintain law and order," Maheshwar added.

 

 

Police take state VHP president M Rama Raju into custody near the US consulate office in the city on Monday." title="Police take state VHP president M Rama Raju into custody near the US consulate office in the city on Monday.

 

[Mitron]

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