WARANGAL: Followers of Parkal MLA Challa Dharma Reddy attacked the reporter of a Telugu newspaper on Saturday morning in Athmakur village, for reporting an incident of a few women protesting against the MLA as his vehicle had collided into a Bathukamma structure.
As per the report written by the reporter, P Prabhakar, on October 7, Thursday, the first day of the Bathukamma festival, a group of local women were celebrating the festival on the road. MLA Challa Dharma Reddy’s speeding car then smashed into the Bathukamma installation.
Enraged, the women tried to obstruct Reddy’s vehicle, but it left the place. Prabhakar said the locals had approached him for coverage of the incident, and the report on it had been published on October 7, 2021. Videos of the incident had also been widely circulated over social media.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Prabhakar said, “The MLA’s followers attacked my residence and damaged the furniture and mobile phones. My wife appealed to them to do not do so, but they did not heed her and forcefully entered the house and vandalised it.”
He added that as his residence is located just opposite to the Athmakur police station, and he tried to contact the ACP, inspector and the SI for help, but they did not respond in time. “It might be because the MLA cautioned them,” alleged Prabhakar.
After learning about the attack on Prabhakar, journalist union leaders and members rushed to his house and condemned the incident. Speaking to mediapersons, Parkal ACP J Sivaramaiah said that the police had identified 14 party workers who were involved in the attack and a case had been registered under Sections 143, 248, 290 and 323 of the IPC.