Kaushik Reddy had said BRS workers would go in a procession to Gandhi's residence where they could have a district-level meeting. He said there was nothing wrong with holding the meeting at Gandhi's residence as the latter has been claiming to be BRS legislator.
Published Sep 13, 2024 | 2:35 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 14, 2024 | 10:27 AM
BRS leaders T Harish Rao and Kaushik Reddy. (X)
Tension continued to build up in Medchal in Hyderabad with BRS activists led by legislators Padi Kaushik Reddy and Shambipur Raju, deciding to hold a district-level party meeting at the residence of BRS turncoat MLA Arekapudi Gandhi on Friday, 13 September, since he was claiming to be a BRS MLA.
They tried to set out from MLC Shambipur Raju’s residence in Medchal after Kaushik Reddy, on Thursday night, said he and other BRS leaders would visit Gandhi’s residence on Friday and hold a party meeting there.
The trigger for the political slugfest between BRS leaders and Gandhi was the latter’s appointment as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman.
As the PAC chairman’s post should go to the Opposition member, the BRS has been questioning how turncoat Gandhi could be appointed while the Congress was insisting that they had given it to Gandhi as he was a BRS MLA.
Kaushik Reddy called on the party workers to arrive in large numbers at Shambipur Raju’s residence from where they would go in a procession to Gandhi’s residence where they could have a district level meeting. He said there was nothing wrong with holding the meeting at Gandhi’s residence as the latter has been claiming to be BRS legislator.
Kaushik Reddy gave the call after the police arrested party senior leader T Harish Rao and others who were staging a protest at the Cyberabad Polie Commissioner’s office and took them away in police vans. Decrying the police action, the Huzurabad MLA said that the BRS would not be cowed down by the Congress’ attempts to use strong-arm tactics.
Earlier on Thursday, tension built up when Gandhi and his supporters tried to storm Kaushik Reddy’s residence in Madhapur. Gandhi’s supporters went on the rampage on the premises of Kaushik Reddy’s house while Gandhi, let out an endless stream of expletives at Kaushik Reddy, using filthy language which makes one’s stomach turn.
The war of words began between Kaushik Reddy and Gandhi on Wednesday after the former said he would go to the latter’s residence on Thursday and fly the BRS flag on his house since he was claiming to be a BRS MLA.
When dawn brke on Friday, scores of BRS workers gathered at Shambipur Raju’s residence in a prelude to reaching Gandhi’s house in a delegation.
With Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy asking the Director General of Police (DGP) Jitender to take stringent measures if anyone tried to break law and order and sully the brand image of Hyderabad, the police were in a heightened state of alert.
The police who knew that the confrontation between Kaushik Reddy and Gandhi would lead to another bout of trouble, stood guard outside Shabhipur Raju’s house.
After Kaushik Reddy arrived at Shambipur Raju’s residence, both the leaders along with important party activists were closeted for some time. Later, they came out and tried to board their vehicles to reach Gandhi’s residence.
The police who were present in strength, prevented both the leaders from leaving the place. Kaushik Reddy and Shambipur Raju entered into heated arguments with the police when they asked the BRS leaders to go inside as they could not allow them outside as it was likely to create a law and order problem. However, they insisted on leading the procession of the workers to Gadhi’s residence.
The BRS leaders questioned the police as to how they could allow Danam Nagender, another BRS turncoat MLA, to go to Gandhi’s residence while not allowing them, who are also BRS activists.
They said they were not going to Gandhi’s house to make trouble but only to hold a meeting of the party at his premises. They wondered whether there were two separate laws, one for Nagender and the other for the BRS activists.
After realising that the BRS leaders would not listen to them, the police took them back into the house and kept them under house arrest.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) K Koti Reddy said that they had put the two leaders under house arrest as section 144 was in force and that they could not allow the breakdown of law and order.
Police officials said they would remain under house arrest until Friday evening and would take a decision on their release after a review of the situation.
Since Friday morning — apprehending trouble — the police imposed restrictions on the movement of BRS legislators and arrested scores of pink party activists across the state preventing them from reaching Hyderabad.
ఎమ్మెల్యే అరికెపూడి గాంధీ ఇంటికి బయలుదేరిన ఎమ్మెల్యే పాడి కౌశిక్ రెడ్డి,
పాడి కౌశిక్ రెడ్డిగారిని , శంబిపూర్ రాజు గారిని ఇంటి నుంచి బయటకు రాకుండా అడ్డుకుని లోపలికి పంపించి హౌస్ అరెస్ట్ చేసిన పోలీసులు @BRSparty pic.twitter.com/FfO3FI462P
— Padi Kaushik Reddy (@KaushikReddyBRS) September 13, 2024
Learning about the arrests, party senior leader and former minister T Harish Rao condemned the detentions and demanded their unconditional release.
He said he failed to understand the logic of the police in not arresting those who tried to kill Kaushik Reddy while readily arresting the BRS cadres whose activities caused no harm to anyone. If the government is committed to principles and moral values, it should ask the police to arrest Gandhi and his supporters.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao said the dark days of emergency have returned to Telangana in the guise of Indiramma Rajyam. He expressed anger at the detention of the leaders at their respective houses.
“Last night the BRS leaders were kept under arret till late into the night and today, they were arresting party cadres,” he said wondering why the Congress should develop cold feet when the BRS wanted to hold a party meeting.
He said for the first time in history, Telangana was witnessing a wave of repression against the Opposition parties. “The people, at the opportune time, would teach a fitting lesson to the Congress,” he said.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
