ADILABAD/ KARIMNAGAR: Police took BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar into custody on Sunday night while he was on his way to Nirmal to kick off the fifth phase of his Praja Sangrama Yatra from Bhainsa town on Monday morning after holding a public meeting.
Sanjay was detained after Nirmal SP Ch Praveen Kumar denied permission for the padayatra and public meeting in Bhainsa town. However, the Karimnagar MP was adamant about going ahead with the padayatra. According to police sources, permission was denied as Bhainsa is a communally-sensitive town and the cops didn’t want the communal amity in the town to be disturbed.
It was at around 8 pm when Sanjay’s convoy reached Venkatapur village of Korutla mandal in Jagtial district where the police blocked the road with their vehicles. Police personnel stationed there in large numbers forcibly took Sanjay into custody even as BJP workers raised slogans and tried to prevent his detention.According to sources, Sanjay was taken back to Karimnagar, where he is likely to be placed under house arrest.
In his statement to the media, Bandi Sanjay said that he would approach court to seek clearance for his padayatra. “This is the proof of Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao’s autocratic rule. Why should they obstruct me when I just want to hold padayatra in a democratic way,” he asked. He alleged that a circle inspector, Kishore, thrashed the Nookalapalli vice-sarpanch and BJP workers black and blue.
The arrangements for the public meeting were already made at Bhainsa. Deputy CM of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, was invited as the chief guest for the public meeting on Monday. BJP MP Soyam Bapurao questioned why the police had to wait till the public meeting arrangements were completed and after they inspected the helipad where Devendra Fadnavis was to land on Monday morning.
The padayatra is likely to cover Mudhole, Nirmal, Khanapur, Korutla, Vemulawada, Jagtial and Choppadandi assembly constituencies before concluding in Karimnagar assembly constituency on December 17. A massive public meeting is being planned on the final day of the padayatra at the SRR Government Arts and Science College in Karimnagar.In protest against Sanjay’s detention, BJP Mahila Morcha and BJP Yuva Morcha have called for State-wide protests on Tuesday.