Harish Rao condemns attack on MLA Kaushik Reddy

Harish Rao demanded full security for Kaushik Reddy and accused the Congress party of orchestrating the assault.

Hyderabad: Senior BRS leader and former Minister T Harish Rao strongly condemned the attack on party MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy at his residence, demanding the immediate arrest of MLA Arekapudi Gandhi and his supporters. He also demanded for enhanced security for Kaushik Reddy and accused the Congress party of orchestrating the assault while using the police to target BRS leaders.

Harish Rao rushed from Siddipet to Kaushik Reddy’s residence in Hyderabad before accompanying him to the Cyberabad Police Commissioner’s office. He said the attack was carried out under the instigation of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. He termed it a “premeditated attack,” as Gandhi and his followers reportedly assaulted Kaushik Reddy with stones, eggs, and tomatoes.

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He also criticised the police for failing to prevent the violence, despite prior warnings. “Our BRS leaders were placed under house arrest, while Congress goons are sent with pilots and escorts to attack our MLA’s home. This is a complete failure of law and order. If the police do not act against the attackers, we will push for a CBI inquiry or take the matter to the union Home Ministry,” Harish Rao stated.

The former Minister highlighted a series of attacks on BRS leaders, including his own office in Siddipet, and recent incidents in Khammam and Nalgonda, stating that no action had been taken against the perpetrators. He demanded the immediate suspension of officials responsible for the failure to prevent the attack on Kaushik Reddy’s residence.

“If justice is not served, we will take the protest to Delhi and stage a dharna in front of Rahul Gandhi’s house and the AICC office. The people of this State and the nation need to know how MLAs are being bought and attacked under the Congress rule in Telangana,” he declared. He urged the police to act responsibly, cautioning that they would be held accountable for any negligence.

Senior BRS leaders also condemned the attack on MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy, accusing the Congress government of fostering violence to distract from unfulfilled promises. Former Ministers S Niranjan Reddy, Vemula Prashanth Reddy, and Koppula Eeshwar criticised both the Congress government and police inaction following the incident.

Niranjan Reddy stated that for ten years, Telangana remained peaceful, but in just nine months, Congress has introduced a new culture of violence. He charged Arikepudi Gandhi, who recently defected to Congress, for orchestrating the attack instead of responding to questions about his political shift.

Prashanth Reddy termed the attack “premeditated,” questioning how stones and eggs were gathered in advance, and demanded Chief Minister Revanth Reddy apologise for the security failure. Koppula Eeshwar also condemned the incident as “undemocratic,” accusing the Congress of turning Telangana into a “rowdy State.”