Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) [India], February 11 (ANI): Several leaders belonging to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were taken into preventive custody on Friday for staging a protest opposing the arrest of TDP MLC P Ashok Babu by the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department.

TDP leaders including former minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, Kovelamudi Ravindra, Paruchuri Srinivasa Rao and others were taken into custody. They alleged that the arrest of MLC was based on a 'fabricated case' filed against Ashok Babu to harass him as he was giving a tough fight to the state government.

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Umamaheswara Rao said today that Ashok Babu submitted facts related to the allegations posed by the government on him and he didn't commit any wrongdoing, but police filed a fabricated case against him and torturing.

The protesting TDP leaders were taken into custody from the Guntur CID office and later shifted them to Nagarampalem police station.

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Former minister Nakka Ananda Babu condemned the arrest and stated that the government was suppressing the voice of opposition by lodging illegal cases. He alleged that the government arrested him to diverted the public problems, on which the MLC was fighting.

He added that the police didn't take any action on the Seediri Appalaraju, Minister for Animal Husbandry who insulted police officials with his filthy language, but they arrested the TDP leader without any his fault.

Earlier in the day, Andhra Pradesh CID arrested senior TDP leader and Member of Legislative Committee (MLC) Paruchuri Ashok Babu for allegedly producing fake degree certificates. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)