Telangana Congress went on the offensive against the BRS government after its poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu’s office was raided raising the issue in the Parliament, accusing the Telangana police of robbing their data and poll strategies and charging the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao with fearing the Congress.
Even as the police house arrested all the Congress leaders in Hyderabad fearing they would protest at the Police Commissionerate, the AICC incharge for Telangana, Manickam Tagore raised the issue in the Parliament accused IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao of being behind the raid. He said the Telangana police entered the Congress war room without any search warrant or serving notice as required by the law. He said the Union Home Minister should seek a report from the Telangana Governor.
The police ‘raided’ the office alleging that some unknown people posted derogatory comments against the Chief Minister and his daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha on social media. Congress leaders who protested the ‘illegal’ raid were taken into custody apart from three people working in the office.
Telangana Congress president and Malkajgiri MP, A. Revanth Reddy along with Nalgonda MP, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy spoke to the media in New Delhi and asked whether Telangana was in Pakistan or North Korea for police to storm the office of Congress Task Force member Sunil Kanugolu. “KCR has bought a section of media and the Congress was raising people’s issues through social media. Why is KCR afraid of the criticism of his daughter’s involvement in the Delhi Liquor case? It is an indication of his downfall,” Mr. Revanth Reddy said.
Mr. Uttam Reddy said the Hyderabad police raid was highly objectionable and unprecedented and the party would lodge complaints of theft against the police. Why are the police worried over the party’s post on Kavitha’s involvement in the liquor case, he asked.
Protests across Telangana
In Hyderabad and across Telangana, the party activists took to the streets and burnt the effigy of the Chief Minister at several places. Police house arrested several Congress leaders fearing they would lay siege to Police Commissionerate. Some were taken into custody and moved to different police stations. At Gandhi Bhavan, police closed the gates and did not allow the party workers heading to the BRS office for protests.
At separate press conferences, CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka and Sangareddy Legislator, T. Jayaprakash Reddy asked why the TRS-turned-BRS was so worried when Congress was highlighting the misgovernance and corruption of BRS. Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy said some police officials have turned into stooges of KCR and were not even respecting the Supreme Court directions.
Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy and TPCC working president, Mahesh Goud met the City Police Commissioner, C.V. Anand, and raised the objectionable behaviour of his team. Mr. Goud said the Police Commissioner assured them to look into the issue. He said Congress always believed in healthy politics and not demeaning personal attacks on the political leadership.
Published - December 14, 2022 09:29 pm IST
