HYDERABAD: A day after Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Arekapudi Gandhi and his followers attacked the residence of Opposition BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy’s residence in Kondapur, police placed all key leaders of the pink party, including former minister T Harish Rao, under house arrest on Friday in Hyderabad and elsewhere in the state.
Heavy police presence ensured that no untoward incidents were witnessed in the state capital. Meanwhile, the warring legislators Padi Kaushik Reddy and Arekapudi Gandhi toned down their rhetoric.
Kaushik said that the “Andhra” word he used referred only to Gandhi and not all the AP-origin people living in the state. Gandhi alleged that as Kaushik made provocative statements, he too responded in kind while adding that he had high respect for BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. The BRS leaders were placed under house arrest as they threatened to conduct a party meeting at Gandhi’s residence.
On Thursday, the war of words between Kaushik and Gandhi over the appointment of PAC chairman led to violence in Hyderabad.
While the Congress leaders stated that Gandhi, who defected to the grand old party, was still a BRS member as per Assembly records, BRS leaders wondered why the police were objecting to them having a meeting at the residence of Gandhi. The BRS leaders wanted to proceed to Gandhi’s residence from BRS leader Shambhipur Raju’s house, following which the police also placed Raju under house arrest and managed to foil the pink party’s attempts to proceed to Gandhi’s residence.
BRS sees conspiracy to eliminate Kaushik
Meanwhile, the war of words between the BRS and the Congress continued on Friday too. The Congress leaders alleged that the BRS leaders were trying to tarnish the brand image of Hyderabad by creating troubles.
The BRS leaders, on the other hand, alleged that the Congress tried to eliminate BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy. When police surrounded his residence, Harish Rao tried to leave stating that he had to go for a health check-up.
“Due to Thursday’s scuffle, I have sustained an injury to my shoulder. The MRI suggests I need 15 days of physiotherapy,” he said.
However, police denied him permission to move out. When Maloth Kavitha and Sunitha Laxma Reddy tried to meet Harish Rao at his residence, police took them into custody.
‘Revanth responsible for breakdown of law and order’
Speaking to reporters in the evening, Harish Rao alleged that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy orchestrated political vendettas, leading to collapse of law and order in the state.
“Revanth Reddy was responsible for the breakdown of law and order in Telangana. But he is now talking about the Hyderabad and Telangana brand image,” he said.
“Who provided security for MLA Gandhi to carry out attacks? Wasn’t it Revanth Reddy and the DGP? Why were the attacks not stopped on Thursday? When our MLA was attacked under police protection, where was Revanth’s concern for law and order? Why didn’t the DGP act?” former minister asked.
The former minister also alleged that after he was carried away by police from Cyberabad police commissioner’s office, he along with other BRS leaders was taken to the forests of Mahbubnagar.
“But Arekapudi Gandhi, who attempted a murder, was escorted home with full security, along with his followers. While we were denied even water, police provided biryani to attackers in the police station,” he said.
Revanth Reddy was the mastermind behind yesterday’s attack. Under his direction, MLA Kaushik Reddy’s house was attacked, Harish Rao alleged.
‘Uttama’ director behind drama!
A cryptic post by state BJP on BRS MLA Kaushik Reddy’s controversial remarks on turncoat MLAs has generated interest on X platform. With a caricature of a puppeteer, with an uncanny resemble to a minister, in the background, the post shows a photo of Kaushik holding a sari and bangles, which he wanted to send to the MLAs who deserted the BRS to join the Congress. The BJP post asks: “Who is the Uttama director running this drama?”
DGP holds meeting with commissioners
Director General of Police Dr Jitender held a conference with the police commissioners of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda on Friday morning. The DGP told the commissioners that there should not be any compromise on law and order situation in tri-commissionerates of Hyderabad. Anyone trying to disturb peace and law & order should be strictly dealt with as per law, the DGP said. There should be zero tolerance against people trying to disturb peace, the DGP said and appealed to people to not take law into their hands.