Hyderabad: Social media activist, former Telangana digital media director Konatham Dileep detained by police

Dileep, known for his vocal criticism of the Congress government’s actions, was picked up from his residence.

Hyderabad: In what is being termed as a blatant misuse of power, former Telangana digital media director and social media activist Konatham Dileep was reportedly detained by the Hyderabad Central Crime Station (CCS) police on Thursday. Dileep, known for his vocal criticism of the Congress government’s actions, was picked up from his residence. The reasons why he was being taken into custody were not informed to the relatives.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao condemned the detention of Dileep Konatham, stating that the Congress government was misusing the law enforcement agencies to silence dissent. “This is nothing short of tyranny under the guise of democracy,” he said. He demanded for Dileep’s immediate release, stating that he has been harassed for months due to his social media activity. He said notwithstanding the attempts to silence him, Dileep continued to raise his voice against the inefficiency of the State government.

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According to sources, police officers who detained Dileep refused to provide details of the charges or provide FIR copy. Dileep’s detention follows months of alleged harassment, including previous attempts to implicate him in illegal cases which was foiled after the Telangana High Court gave clear instructions not to arrest him.

The BRS called the detention of Dileep as as a violation of democratic principles, with many party leaders criticising the Revanth Reddy government for targeting political opponent.

Several BRS leaders rushed to the CCS on coming to know about the arrest of Dileep. They had heated arguments with the police officials over the latter’s reluctance to share any details with regard to the detention of Dileep and decided to stage a sit-in. The officials informed that he had been brought for questioning in connection with a complaint against him. However, after questioning Dileep for more than five hours, the police have announced that he has been arrested officially.

Speaking on the occasion, former Minister and senior MLA G Jagadish Reddy said the Congress government is using police forces against those questioning it’s decisions and exposing it’s failures, to divert public attention. He stated that the inept government which failed to deliver its promises and handle administration effectively, was attempting to create a scare among the people by using police force. He demanded for immediate release of Dileep Konatham.

BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar said the police took Dileep into custody without any concrete evidence against him and did not even inform the family members about the cause of the arrest. He said the government was trying to frame the social media activist on false charges of provoking communal hatred. “Not BRS, but BJP is making such provocative posts on social media. BRS is a secular party which always believed in Ganga Jamuna Tehzeeb,” he said