Former union minister and Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury 'grabs' cop's collar

Hyderabad, Jun 16 (PTI) Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury was on Thursday seen allegedly grabbing the collar of a police official during a protest here by the party against the grilling of top party leader Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering case pertaining to the National Herald-AJL deal.

A video showing Chowdhury "arguing" with police officials who were trying to prevent her from going to Raj Bhavan and later she allegedly holding the collar of a police official, went viral.

One such supporter of Renuka Choudhury tweeted the video of the Telangana Congress leader grabbing a cop by his collar.

లోపల ఫైర్‌ ఇంకా à°à°²à°¾à°¨à±‡ ఉంది!
The fire brand that she is @RenukaCCongress doesn’t hesitate during the Congress agitation in #Hyderabad.
She caught DCP Joyel Davis by the collar.Did she toe the line is another discussion. But good to see @INCTelangana leaders on street! pic.twitter.com/qD7Ioltu8I

— Revathi (@revathitweets) June 16, 2022

She was immediately taken away by women police personnel.

Later, Chowdhury told TV channels that she had no intention of humiliating the police official and she merely caught hold of his shoulder as she was about to fall when being pushed.

"We know how to respect the uniform. Police also have to learn to respect women. I have no intention of hitting policemen. That is not my intention at all. But I was being manhandled. I was losing my balance and I was falling on that man. You can see that in the visuals very clearly that they are suddenly trying to push me and that is the reason my hand slipped from when I was (trying to hold the shoulder) reaching for his shoulder he moved and I caught his collar. It was not my intention to humiliate him or anything like that," she said. When contacted, a senior police official said Chowdhury was subsequently taken into preventive custody.

During the protest, Chowdhury also said: "If you touch me...I drag you up to the Parliament. Khabardar (beware) if you mess with us. We are peacefully walking along with women. What is this drama. Somehow you provoke and brand Congress on the consequences. I paid taxes for these roads . I am a citizen. I have a right more than police have (to walk on the road). If I try to enter Raj Bhavan you can question me".

Earlier, mild tension prevailed near Raj Bhavan, after scores of Congress leaders and workers held a protest against the grilling of Rahul Gandhi.

As a large number of Congress leaders and party workers marched towards the Raj Bhavan in an attempt to lay siege to it as part of a "Chalo Raj Bhavan" call given by Congress' Telangana unit, police foiled their attempts and dispersed them even as the party said some of its leaders were injured due to lathi charge by police.

A senior police official said there was no permission for the "Chalo Raj Bhavan" rally adding few police personnel also suffered minor injuries during the protest.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President and party MP A Revanth Reddy, Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and several others were taken into preventive custody by police as they were proceeding towards the Raj Bhavan.

The protest caused traffic snarls on Khairtabad Circle and surrounding areas.

A two-wheeler was burnt allegedly by some protesters, who also demonstrated on the road even as some of them were seen protesting atop a state-run city bus even as window panes of the bus were smashed allegedly by an agitator. Window panes of a car were also allegedly damaged by the protesters.

The protesters raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also police.