Woman sarpanch accuses BRS MLA Rajaiah of sexual harassment
HANAMKONDA: Controversial former deputy chief minister and Station Ghanpur MLA, Thatikonda Rajaiah, again landed in a controversy on Friday with the sarpanch of Janakipur Gram Panchayat in Dharmasagar mandal K Navya accusing him of sexually harassing her. Navya alleged that BRS legislator misbehaved with her at several public meetings and government programmes held in the constituency.
“Though I warned him many times against touching me or keeping a close physical distance with me in public, he did not change his attitude. He holds my hand and places his arm on my shoulders apart from calling me to meet him in person in return for releasing funds for development works in the village,” the sarpanch alleged.
Navya further accused Rajaiah of encouraging BRS women leaders of Dharmasagar mandal to prevail on her to meet him in private and cooperate with him. She said that she had the evidences in the form of phone call recordings and she was ready to place it before Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and IT Minister KT Rama Rao.
Speaking to the media, Navya stated that she would prove the MLA’s misbehaviour and denied the role of any leader or group behind her. Reacting to the allegations by the sarpanch, Rajaiah stated that some BRS leaders in the Ghanpur constituency were using the sarpanch to damage his reputation in view of the forthcoming elections in the State.
Speaking to media persons in Hyderabad, Rajaiah, who is also a doctor, alleged that some leaders were jealous of his growing popularity in the constituency. “I have come to know about the allegations against me and I will prove them false before the media soon,” said Rajaiah.