At a time when thousands of women delegates representing various sections of society are holding a meeting to discuss empowerment of women and strengthening democracy at the National Women’s Parliament (NWP), Opposition YSRCP MLA R. K. Roja was on Saturday detained at the Vijayawada Airport and sent back to her home in Hyderabad via Guntur, a 330-km journey. This led to high drama as the MLA sent out selfie videos of her detention and tried to escape from custody.
The MLA claimed she had been invited by Assembly Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, who is also the Chairman of the NWP, and alleged that she was illegally detained at the Airport premises in Gannavaram under the pretext of escorting her to the venue at Ibrahimpatnam.
The police asked her to wait in the lounge in view of the Dalai Lama’s visit. She was then escorted out of the airport.
The selfie video shot by the MLA was released by the YSRCP’s official Facebook page. “The ACP told me that I would be escorted to a hotel in the city from the Airport and I was forced to wait from 8.50 a.m. to 10.20 a.m. Now they are taking me on the Ongole road,” she said.
While Ms. Roja was recording the video, a woman police officer sitting in the rear seat of the car along with other policewomen tried to grab the mobile phone. Ms. Roja held the hand of the policewoman for a while and continued to make allegations against the Speaker and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
It was also learnt that Ms. Roja had tried to escape custody at Perecherla in Guntur district.
YSRCP leaders meet DGP
YSRCP MLA Giddi Eswari Reddy and several other leaders met Director General of Police N. Sambasiva Rao at his camp office in the city and enquired about the whereabouts of Ms. Roja. Later she told the media, “We lodged a complaint with the DGP. He told us that Ms. Roja was taken into custody to prevent any disturbances at the event. We learnt that she sustained injuries too.” Senior leader K. Partha Sarathi lashed out at the government for detaining a woman who was invited to the event about women and called it undemocratic.
When contacted Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, D. Gautam Sawang said they came to know of plans to disturb the event. The police approached Ms. Roja and sought an undertaking that she would not create any issues at the venue which was a sensitive place as thousands of girl students were attending. “She refused to give any undertaking and we had to detain her. As there were traffic restrictions on NH, she was taken to her residence in Hyderabad via Guntur,” Mr. Sawang said.
Mr. Sambasiva Rao also told the YSRC leaders that Ms. Roja would be allowed to take part in the event if she promised not to raise political issues.
