Tension prevailed for several hours near the farmhouse of Bharat Rashrta Samithi (BRS) president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at Erravelli in Siddipet district on Tuesday as Congress workers and Dalit organisations attempted to march towards the premises as part of a “Chavu Dappu” (funeral drum-beating) protest.
The protest was organised against alleged derogatory remarks made against Dalits by BRS leaders. Congress MLAs Vemula Veeresham and Veerlapally Shankar also joined the protest.
Scuffles broke out between BRS workers and protesters at some checkpoints, while the police also stopped hundreds of protesters, who, later staged a demonstration several hundred metres from the farmhouse, beating drums and raising slogans. A few police personnel reportedly suffered minor injuries.
Former Gajwel MLA and former Siddipet DCC president Tumkunta Narsa Reddy, who was injured in the scuffle, was shifted to NIMS.
KTR, Harish Rao
On learning about the protest, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and BRSLP Deputy Floor leader and former Minister T. Harish Rao left the Assembly and headed towards Erravelli.
When the police intercepted the two leaders and other BRS legislators at Hakimpet, a verbal altercation broke out between them and the police. KTR was taken to Bowenpally police station, while Mr. Harish Rao was taken to Jawaharnagar police station.
The BRS leaders alleged that Congress protesters were being allowed to move towards KCR’s farmhouse under police protection, while BRS leaders were being prevented from reaching the spot.
Mr. Rama Rao questioned the police on whether instructions had been issued to escort Congress leaders to the farmhouse.
Mr. Harish Rao, in a post on X, tagged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and alleged that Congress MLAs were being allowed to target the Leader of the Opposition’s residence under police escort, including police pilots and rope parties.
He also alleged that the Chief Minister had encouraged attacks on KCR and sought the Centre’s intervention. “Any attack on the Leader of the Opposition would amount to an assault on democracy,” he said.
Several other BRS leaders were also detained or placed under house arrest in Hyderabad and other districts to prevent them from travelling to Erravelli.
Meanwhile, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud and Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Vivek Venkataswamy visited former MLA Tumkunta Narsa Reddy at NIMS, where he was undergoing treatment.