Democracy murdered in Revanth Reddy’s rule, says Harish Rao

Former Minister Harish Rao accused Congress government of “murdering democracy”, citing harassment of tribal and Dalit women councillors in Kyathanpalli elections. He demanded Governor intervention, police accountability, and action against the State Election Commission

Adilabad: Former Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday said democracy was being butchered in Telangana.

Speaking to the media along with BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar after visiting former BRS MLA Balka Suman in jail here, Harish Rao took strong exception to the misconduct of Congress councillors towards women councillors belonging to tribal and Dalit communities in the presence of Labour Minister G Vivek to capture power in Kyathanpalli Municipality.

---

“Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s government is indulging in a full-fledged murder of democracy, while the police have become puppets of the Congress in the entire Kyathanpalli episode. Both will pay the price for their acts,” he warned, stating that Suman, who played a vital role in Telangana movement, was illegally arrested and lodged in a jail in Adilabad 200 km away from Mancherial district even as the Ramagundam Commissionerate has multiple jails, only with the malicious intent of taking revenge.

Harish Rao said the election of the chairperson of Kyathanpalli Municipality was deliberately postponed despite sufficient quorum being present. Women councillors were insulted, assaulted and abused right in front of Vivek and the police, who refused to even accept a complaint lodged by the victims, citing absence of a local inspector.

Asking why no cases were registered against the Congress councillors for misbehaving and abusing the women councillors and for damaging BRS leader Mula Raji Reddy’s car, he said cases were registered against Suman and eight others for questioning the police when they allowed Vivek and Peddapalli MP G Vamshikrishna to attend the meeting.

Questioning the silence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who always carries the Constitution of India, while democracy was being murdered in broad daylight in Telangana, he demanded that the Governor initiate action against officials who did not behave as per the Constitution during the meeting. He wanted the Governor to initiate action against the State Election Commission as well for failing to take action against erring officials.

He alleged that the Congress councillors threatened the BRS and CPI councillors during the election at Jangaon Municipality as well. An MP had illegally voted twice in Thorrur civic body as well, he said, adding that the BRS never committed such blatant violation of norms.

Also slamming the Congress for showing bias towards the BJP, he said no case was registered against Congress and BJP leaders for abusing the police, indicating a nexus between the two national parties. People were observing the illegal acts of the Revanth Reddy government, he said, adding that power was not permanent and Revanth Reddy would soon lose the trust of the public.