ADILABAD/HYDERABAD: BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, on Monday, likened the Bhainsa communal clashes of May 10 to the exodus of Pandits from Kashmir, and attacked Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for not doing anything about it.
Bandi, who visited the party’s Adilabad district office and expressed support to those injured in the violence, said miscreants were creating tension in Bhainsa town with the help of the AIMIM, like the way Pakistani terrorists forced Pandits to leave Kashmir. “Muslims in Bhainsa are frequently attacking Hindus in order to occupy the entire town,” he said in a live video chat on social media.
He said on the night of May 10, 12 houses were attacked and vehicles damaged. “The police, who reached the spot to control the situation, arrested 11 people of the victims’ families instead of rounding up those involved in the violence. After we highlighted this, the police arrested four to five people,” the BJP leader said.
Getting into the details of the incident, Bandi questioned as to how people were allowed to gather at a mosque at 11 pm on May 10 despite the government ordering all religious places of worship to be shut during the lockdown. “The police are quick to thrash a person for breaking lockdown rules, despite him pleading with them. But, they react late when people pelt stones from mosques. Who is responsible for this?” Bandi asked.
He gave the example of a 17-year-old boy, J Santosh, who was reportedly beaten up by the police for visiting his grandmother at Bhainsa. “He was not involved in the clashes, still the police beat him. The Circle Inspector took him to the police station and beat him with his belt in front of the SP. They sent him back without filing any case, but fractured his toes. Who is responsible for this? His family is dependent on him,” Bandi said.
The BJP leader accused KCR and a few police of being biased towards a certain community. He said the saffron party would approach courts and Human Rights Commission (HRC), seeking justice in the Bhainsa communal riots as the Nirmal police booked innocent Hindus and intentionally spared the Muslims. He said it would urge the Union government to deploy Central forces in the town as they had no confidence in the Nirmal police.He also questioned media for not reporting the damage done to 12 houses. He visited the district jail to meet those imprisoned in connection with the clashes, but was denied entry.
Accusing the police of being a mere spectator, he said the government should take action against the Nirmal district SP and Bhainsa Circle Inspector. Also, the Kothapet Market CI misbehaved with BJP’s Nagarkurnool district president Sudhakar Rao and a farmer, he alleged. “A MIM leader raped a Dalit girl. Our party leader, Bangaru Sruthi, went to her house and consoled her. MIM MLA Ahmed Balala has been passing casteist remarks against the Dalit. Why are the police being spectators,” he asked.
He gave the police two days to take action in the Bhainsa and Nagarkurnool cases, failing which the BJP would plan protests across Telangana.