Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lawmakers were detained by the Delhi Police when they tried to protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, to press for special category status for Andhra Pradesh.
TDP MPs met at former Union Minister Y.S. Chowdary’s residence on Sunday morning and decided to protest outside the Prime Minister’s official residence.
They were, however, detained on the way, as they were marching towards Mr. Modi’s residence.
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The move to protest came after a No-Confidence Motion was moved by them, and supported by other parties, including the Congress.
Twenty MPs were detained at the Tughlak Road Police Station after they were taken there by a Delhi Police bus.
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Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met the lawmakers at the police station to show solidarity.
“They had gone to meet Modi ji , but instead he sent them to a police station,” he told reporters.
PM’s promises
“The Prime Minister is the person to take the decision on special status [for Andhra Pradesh]. He has to fulfil his promises and that is why we want to raise our demands with him,” explained Jayadev Galla, TDP MP.
The TDP pulled out its Ministers from the Union Cabinet and severed ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the Centre refused to accede to its demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh.
In a separate protest, five YSR Congress Party members are on a hunger strike for the past three days at Delhi’s Andhra Pradesh Bhavan.
All YSR Congress MPs resigned on Friday, the last day of the Budget session.