Karimnagar: BRS MLA Kaushik Reddy placed under house arrest; Tense situation at Chelpur

Kaushik Reddy had alleged that Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar was earning huge amounts by illegally transporting fly ash from NTPC Ramagundam to Khammam.

Karimnagar: A tense situation prevailed at the Hanuman temple in Chelpur of Huzurabad mandal early on Tuesday after a huge contingent of police personnel were deployed. This was in the wake of counter challenges by BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy and Congress Huzurabad constituency in-charge Pranav Babu to take oath at the shrine over the alleged involvement of Minister Ponnam Prabhakar in the fly ash scam.

As both the leaders challenged each other to visit the Hanuman temple to take oath, about 200 police personnel led by Huzurabad ACP Srinivas were deployed on the premises of the temple as well as in the village. The police also closed the Huzurabad-Jammikunta main road by placing barricades at Chelpur and were not allowing political leaders to the area. On the other hand, Kaushik Reddy was placed under house arrest in Veenavanka. Following this, the MLA took the oath at his residence itself. Wearing wet clothes as per the custom, the legislator took oath on the portrait of God and made it clear that he was not involved any corruption activities. He later asked Prabhakar to do the same, taking oath that he had not taken money from fly ash lorries. If the Minister did so, he would seek an apology, Kaushik Reddy said.

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Meanwhile, with a large number of Congress workers gathering outside the temple, police had to resort to a mild lathi-charge to disperse them. Huzurabad ACP Srinivas and CI Ramesh had tried to convince the Congress leaders to leave the spot and to cooperate with them to maintain law and order. As they refused to leave the place, police used mild force to disperse them. Enraged over the lathi-charge, Congress activists raised slogans against the police.

Earlier this month, Kaushik Reddy had alleged that Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar was earning huge amounts by illegally transporting fly ash from NTPC Ramagundam to Khamman. Prabhakar had responded by serving a legal notice to the MLA. Reacting to the notice, Kaushik Reddy challenged the Minister to take oath at the Jubilee Hills Venkateswara Swamy temple in Hyderabad if the latter was not involved in the illegal transportation of fly ash. In response to the MLA’s challenge, Pranav Babu challenged Kaushik Reddy to take oath at the Chelpur Anjaneya Swamy temple if he was not involved in corruption. Responding positively to the Congress leader’s challenge, Kaushik Reddy expressed his willingness to take oath in the temple on Tuesday, leading to the day’s developments.