Hyderabad, Jun 11 (IANS): Telangana Police on Thursday placed the leaders of the opposition Congress party under house arrest to foil the 'chalo secretariat' call given by them to protest against the inflated electricity bills.

State Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and former MP V. Hanumantha Rao were among the top leaders placed under house arrest.

Police personnel were mobilised at the residences of the leaders since early morning to prevent them from marching towards the state secretariat.

The Congress leaders questioned the police action. There was a heated argument between the opposition leaders and the police officials.

Komatireddy alleged that there is a dictatorial rule in Telangana as the opposition is being denied the right to raise its voice. "The TRS government, which had asked people not to pay rent during the lockdown has now imposed a huge burden on them with inflated electricity bills for three months," he said.

The MP said the government added to the burden on consumers in the name of electricity slabs. He said the government should provide relief to people in the time of distress, but it was adding to their woes.

The Congress leaders called for 'chalo secretariat' to demand that the government waive off the electricity bills for three months.

They also demanded Implementation of the Rythu Bandhu scheme without any conditions and a special package in view of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown.

They slammed the government for arresting them for raising the voice against inflated bills.

Earlier, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that the party had sought appointments of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Energy Minister G. Jagadish Reddy and Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy to submit the representations, urging them to rescue the people of the state from the financial crisis.