Tension gripped Premnagar in Amberpet on Saturday afternoon after unidentified persons torched a national flag that was hoisted during the Republic Day celebrations in the morning. The flag was unfurled by the TDP Greater Hyderabad vice-president K. Durga Prasad Reddy.
Miscreants set fire to the pole that was decorated with colourful papers to hoist the flag. Soon, the rope used for unfurling the flag caught fire, damaging the tricolour partially. Some residents saw a group of teenagers fleeing from the spot. They managed to nab one of them and handed him over to the police.
The residents then put out the flames, removed the damaged flag and hoisted a new one. As news spread, hundreds of people assembled at the spot and raised slogans condemning the incident. Senior police officials rushed to the spot and pacified the irate residents. Additional police forces were also deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
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BJP State president G. Kishan Reddy, who rushed to the spot, demanded that the government order a high-level inquiry into the incident. He also requested the police to take stern action against those involved in the incident. Meanwhile, Cyberabad police registered a case against a private pharmacy college in Surmaiguda in Hayathnagar for allegedly unfurling a soiled and damaged flag. Based on a complaint lodged by one Raju the police booked the case and further investigations are on.