Kancha Ilaiah was supposed to address a public meeting in Vijayawada on Saturday. File Photo Kancha Ilaiah was supposed to address a public meeting in Vijayawada on Saturday. File Photo

A police team from Andhra Pradesh put writer and social activist Kancha Ilaiah under house arrest in Hyderabad on Saturday to prevent him from leaving for Vijayawada in order to address a public meeting. Vijayawada Police denied permission to Ilaiah to address the meeting, being organised against alleged suppression of freedom of expression by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments.

Police officials told Ilaiah that there was no permission for the meeting, and he would be arrested if he left his home in Tarnaka, Hyderabad. As the news spread, a large number of Ilaiah’s supporters gathered outside his house.

Ilaiah faces the ire of the Vyasya community over a booklet published recently in which the community is allegedly shown in bad light. The writer described the trading community as social smugglers in his Telugu book, Samaajika smugglerlu komatollu. Arya Vysya communities are seeking a ban on the book and arrest of the writer for hurting their sentiments. Dalit and backward classes organisations have expressed support to Ilaiah.

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