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Five hurt in Congress-BRS clash in Revanth’s seat: Police
On coming to know about the incident, BRS candidate Patnam Narender Reddy came to Kosgi and staged a dharna at Ambedkar statue and raised slogans against the Congress and the PCC chief
Hyderabad
At least five people were injured in clashes between two rival groups belonging to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the Congress in Kodangal assembly constituency of Telangana’s Narayanpet district late on Tuesday night, police said.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president A Revanth Reddy is contesting from Kodangal in the assembly elections scheduled to be held on November 30.
Kosgi police inspector G Janardhan Goud said the incident happened at Sarjekhan village, when the Congress workers allegedly attacked a convoy of BRS leaders who were taking part in the election campaign. “They pelted stones at the BRS leaders, causing damage to their vehicles,” he said.
The Congress workers, who alleged that a BRS leader from Hyderabad, Somasekhar Reddy, came to Kosgi for distribution of money among the voters, waylaid the vehicles and attacked the ruling party leaders. The window panes of the BRS leaders’ vehicles were broken, the police official said.
“The BRS workers retaliated by hurling stones at the Congress workers, leading to clashes between both the groups, which created a tense situation in the village. In all, five persons, including three workers belonging to the BRS and two Congress workers, were injured in the stone pelting,” Goud said.
On coming to know about the incident, BRS candidate Patnam Narender Reddy came to Kosgi and staged a dharna at Ambedkar statue and raised slogans against the Congress and the PCC chief. He lodged a complaint with the Kosgi police stating that the Congress workers assaulted the BRS workers.
The Congress workers, too, lodged a counter complaint with the police stating that the BRS leaders indulged in violence when questioned about distribution of money among the voters.
Police pacified the protesters, dispersed the crowd and took the situation under control. “We have booked a case of rioting under Section 146 of Indian Penal Code against both the groups and are investigating the matter,” the inspector said.
The BRS MLA accused Revanth Reddy of instigating violent attacks on the BRS workers. “The PCC has realised that he cannot win the elections and hence, has been provoking his party workers to attack the BRS leaders,” he alleged.
PCC executive committee member Vijay Kumar, looking after the party campaign in Kodangal, alleged that the BRS was sending money bags through its leaders to the constituency to bribe the voters. “When we questioned them, they attacked us,” he said.
Raid on Cong candidate’s house
Meanwhile, flying squads of the Election Commission and Hayatnagar police raided the residence of former Congress MP and party candidate from L B Nagar assembly constituency Madhu Yaskhi at Hayatnagar early on Wednesday, following a complaint that he had hoarded huge amount of cash.
However, neither the police nor the EC authorities disclosed about recovery of any cash from Yashki’s residence.
The Congress candidate alleged that the police had tried to intimidate him with such raids, based on a false complaint from sitting BRS MLA Sudhir Reddy, who is contesting from the seat again.
“I shall lodge a complaint with the EC against the raids. The police or the flying squads did not produce any search warrant. The police threatened my family and party workers,” he alleged.
