WARANGAL: Tension escalated when BJP activists threw chairs and stones at the residence of Parkal TRS legislator Challa Dharma Reddy here on Sunday, incensed over his comments that the saffron party was trying to further its political interests using the name of Lord Rama.
In retaliation, a group of the MLA’s followers targeted the BJP Urban Party Office in Hanamkonda. Raising slogans of ‘Jai Challa Dharma Reddy’, the TRS workers, who came on two-wheelers, smashed the window panes of the BJP office. Demanding action against BJP Warangal Urban district president Rao Padma for leading the attack on Dharma Reddy’s residence, they later staged a protest in front of the Subedari police station.
Trouble began as soon as Dharma Reddy made the comments against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The saffron party workers quickly gathered at his residence and started to raise slogans against him, even as a few others pelted stones and hurled chairs at the building, smashing several window panes. At the time of the attack, Dharma Reddy was out attending a programme in the city.
Police rushed to the spot and overpowered the activists. Even as they grappled with the party workers, the latter kept throwing stones at the building. The BJP workers turned furious when Dharma Reddy said he was against the collection of donations for the construction of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. He alleged that the BJP was dragging Lord Rama into politics which was nothing but an act of desecration.
“I am a staunch devotee of Rama. I have built temples for Lord Rama in my hometown. A few people are collecting funds using fake receipt books in the name of Ayodhya and I want to know where the funds are going. The Centre had spent `2,900 crore on the construction of the Sardar Patel statue, but how come it is not sparing funds for the Ram temple?” he asked. Meanwhile, TRS working president KT Rama Rao condemned the attack and called upon the TRS cadres to confront the BJP workers for engaging in hate politics.
“There is no place for physical attacks in democracy. Unable to convince the people that what they are doing is right, the BJP workers have begun intimidating them. It has become a habit for them to resort to physical attacks,” he said, warning them not to push the TRS too far. “They should keep in mind that the TRS was born out of a movement,” he said.
Tension in Warangal
The BJP workers turned furious when Dharma Reddy said he was against the collection of donations for the construction of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. He alleged that the BJP was dragging Lord Rama into politics