Shankar Rao condemns Akbar’s arrest

Hyderabad, January 8 : Former Minister Dr P Shankar Rao condemned the way MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi was arrested by the police.

Talking to reporters at his residence at Musheerabad here on Tuesday, Dr Shankar Rao said that the behaviour of police and State Government was highly condemnable. He said although he was not supporting the alleged hate speeches of Akbaruddin Owaisi as the courts would take a decision on that matter, he was against the way he was taken into custody by the police.

He said Akbaruddin Owaisi has returned from London immediately after the registration of cases against him to face the court. Therefore, considering his health condition, the police should have given sufficient time to him to appear.

Dr Shankar Rao said that Akbar’s arrest would prove very costly for the Congress government and minorities in the State would distance themselves away from the ruling party. He said Akbar has been suffering from Hernia and kidney ailment besides having a bullet embedded in his body. Arresting a sick person without evening issuing a medical bulletin on his fitness to travel 250 kilometres was improper, he said.

The former minister blamed Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy for the arrest and appealed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to note his behaviour. He said Akbar’s arrest would strengthen the communal forces in the State.