Congress sarpanch lands in police van during Assembly visit, sparks laughter

A Congress sarpanch was mistakenly detained by police during a protest crackdown near the Assembly in Hyderabad. The mix-up, captured on video, went viral online, drawing amusement and criticism over the police’s handling of the situation

Hyderabad: A Congress sarpanch who arrived at the Assembly as a visitor got an unexpected ride in a police van on Tuesday. High drama and unintended laughter unfolded after he was mistakenly detained by police during a protest crackdown, leaving many amused.

The confusion occurred when BRSV activists tried to lay siege to the Assembly over pending scholarships and fee reimbursement dues. As security personnel scrambled to detain protesters, police began picking up anyone suspected of joining the demonstration.

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In the chaos, Kotha Mallesham, a Congress leader and sarpanch of Repaka village in Manakondur constituency, was bundled into a police vehicle along with protesters, despite repeatedly pleading that he belonged to the ruling party and had a valid visitor pass.

“I am a Congress sarpanch. We came with passes issued by our MLA Kavvampalli Satyanarayana. Why are you arresting us?” he shouted, even beating his head in frustration as mediapersons gathered around.

Police later realised the mistake and released him, though not before another brief attempt to push him back into the van caused fresh confusion. After repeated pleas and verification, the police finally released him. The video of the incident went viral on social media, drawing amusement online and criticism of the police’s overenthusiastic detentions.