Hyderabad: Locals of Erravalli and Vemulaghat villages in Medak district, which face submergence under Mallannasagar, tried to block the Rajiv Rahadari highway on Sunday.

To stage a protest, on Sunday the villagers marched towards Rajiv Rahadari to lay a siege on the highway. Police came to know of the protest and deployed huge forces and detained protest leaders Mr Jayaraj, Mr Rangareddy, Mr Narsimha Reddy, Mr Janardhan and a few others who came to support the villagers. A scuffle started when the police tried to prevent the villagers from marching ahead.

They finally had to resort to a lathicharge to disperse the crowd. Five women had to be shifted to the hospital after they became unconscious following the lathicharge. A few children who accompanied their parents were also injured. Few cops were injured when the protesters resorted to stone pelting.

Later, when the police fired in the air, the villagers staged a dharna on the road and a few youth tried to set themselves ablaze; they were stopped by others. The villagers alleged that they were protesting peacefully but police intervention made it violent.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties blamed the state government for the violence and called for a district bandh on Monday.

TS TD working president A. Revanth Reddy said that instead of providing a solution, the government was using police force to shut the voices of the victims. “KCR is reminding us of the Razakars by using police force against people protesting peacefully for their rights. Part of the CM’s constituency is burning, but he is least bothered about the issue,” Mr Reddy said.

The CPI (Marxist) extended its support to the bandh call and condemned the police action on the villagers. “The government has submitted an affidavit before the court that it will not resort to forceful land acquisition, but it is using police force to get the acquisition done,” said state committee member G. Venkatesh.