Hyderabad, Jan 4 (PTI) Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday met BJP's Telangana unit president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar at a jail in Karimnagar where the latter has been lodged following his arrest over a foiled protest.

Also Read | Delhi Logs 5,481 New COVID-19 Cases in Past 24 Hours, Highest Since May 16.

Kishan Reddy called on Kumar and other BJP leaders, who have been arrested, at the Karimnagar district jail.

Also Read | Molnupiravir, COVID-19 Antiviral Drug, Launched in India at Rs 1,399 For Mild to Moderate Infection.

Kumar and others were "illegally charged and arrested", Kishan Reddy alleged.

"Sri Sanjay garu & others are undeterred, and we're all committed to fight the draconian rule of KCR," he tweeted.

Kishan Reddy also visited Kumar's residence and camp office where he was taken into custody by police on Sunday night.

Sanjay Kumar was on Monday sent to 14-day judicial remand following his arrest after a foiled protest plan, with the BJP's national leadership dubbing the police action as "murder of democracy."

Kumar, Lok Sabha member from Karimnagar, was taken into custody on Sunday night when he planned to undertake a 'Jagarana' protest, a night vigil, in solidarity with teachers and other government employees against a state government order.

The order hurt the interests of the teachers and others vis-a-vis their transfers, Kumar alleged.

Earlier, on Sunday night, tension prevailed at the camp office of Kumar in Karimnagar when police forcibly entered it breaking open the office gates in the face of resistance from BJP activists.

Police had said there was no official request for permission to the planned protest and the gathering of the party workers was against the guidelines issued by the Central and state governments to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Saying that the protest was a peaceful event that was planned to be organised in accordance with the pandemic norms, Kumar had found fault with the state government over the police action. Why were the COVID-19 norms not implemented in the events of ruling TRS leaders, he had asked.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)