BRS MLAs protesting against attack on Padi Kaushik Reddy arrested

The biased approach of the police, in fact, was visible right from morning, when they placed Kaushik Reddy under house arrest to prevent him from reaching Serilingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi's residence

Hyderabad: In yet another instance of the Congress misusing power, top BRS leaders including former Ministers T Harish Rao and Vemula Prashanth Reddy, were arrested when they were staging a peaceful protest against an attack on Huzurabad MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy at his residence by Congress workers. The biased approach of the police, in fact, was visible right from morning, when they placed Kaushik Reddy under house arrest to prevent him from reaching Serilingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi’s residence, but allowed Gandhi and his followers to reach Kaushik Reddy’s house.

The bias continued when the police stood mute spectators to the attack launched by the Congress workers on Kaushik Reddy’s residence. They did not prevent Gandhi’s supporters from scaling the main entrance of the gated villa community where the BRS legislator lived, and again stood watching as Congress workers went on a rampage, attacking Kaushik Reddy’s supporters and pelting stones, eggs, and tomatoes at his residence. Windowpanes were shattered, while outdoor furniture and landscaping including flower pots were damaged in the attack. Police intervened after the damage was done, and while detaining some of Gandhi’s followers, escorted Gandhi out.

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Learning about the attack, senior BRS leaders, including Harish Rao, P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Prashanth Reddy rushed to Kaushik Reddy’s residence. Later, they headed to the Cyberabad Police Commissioner’s office, demanding action against the police officials who failed to prevent the attack and also called for the arrest of Gandhi and his supporters. When they tried to meet Commissioner Avinash Mohanty, the security personnel stopped them.

Angered by this, the leaders staged a protest demanding stringent action against the local ACP and Inspector who failed to protect Kaushik Reddy from being attacked. They were then allowed to submit a representation to Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Joel Davis. Not satisified with this, the BRS leaders then staged a protest at the Commissionerate raising slogans.

The police then arrested and shifted the protesting BRS MLAs and leaders into a bus and began taking them around the city and outside, reportedly to Kalvakurthi. When reports last came in, Kaushik Reddy along with RS Praveen Kumar and other BRS leaders had reached the Cyberabad CP’s office.

The unsavoury episode began unfolding earlier in the day, with the protests by the BRS over the appointment of Arekapudi Gandhi’s appointment as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman. With Gandhi having defected to the Congress in July, Kaushik Reddy and the BRS challenged the appointment, pointing out that the post was traditionally given to the Opposition members. However, Gandhi, justified the Assembly Speaker’s decision, claiming that he was still in the Opposition, a technical claim to the post.

Kaushik Reddy then said he would visit Gandhi’s residence in Kukatpally at 11 am on Thursday and offer him a BRS scarf. The Serlingampally MLA countered this by saying he would visit Kaushik Reddy’s house if the latter failed to arrive. He also levelled accusations at Kaushik Reddy, questioning his competence to “challenge a senior legislator like him”, also stating that leaders like Kaushik Reddy were responsible for the electoral defeat of the BRS. Anticipating trouble, the police placed Kaushik Reddy under house arrest, but inexplicably allowed Gandhi and his supporters to reach the gated villa community in Kondapur, challenging the Huzurabad MLA to come out and confront them.

Speaking to the media after the attack, Kaushik Reddy said it was an assassination attempt and that his family, including women, were also targeted during the attack