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Andhra CM's sister, YS Sharmila, taken into custody by Telangana police
Police said the incident took place in Lingagiri village under Warangal’s Chennaraopeta block, where YSR Telangana party chief YS Sharmila was on a padayatra
HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister and YSR Telangana party (YSRTP) president Y S Sharmila was arrested in Telangana’s Warangal district on Monday following a clash between supporters of her party and ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
The incident took place in Lingagiri village under Warangal’s Chennaraopeta block, where Sharmila was on a padayatra.
A group of TRS workers, raising slogans in support of TRS president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, allegedly attacked her convoy to protest against her alleged comment against TRS lawmaker from Narsampet constituency Peddireddy Sudershan Reddy.
During her padayatra on Sunday, Sharmila was alleged to have accused Reddy of extorting money from people, indulging in land grabbing and threatening contractors. “Even his wife has been acting like a de facto MLA and resorting to land grabbing. They are not leaving even an inch of land in the constituency. Why should the public vote for such people?” she asked.
On Monday afternoon, TRS workers targeted Sharmila’s convoy and set fire to a bus that she used to spend the night and rest during the day. The cars of some YSRTP leaders were also vandalised. The YSRTP workers resisted the attack by the TRS workers and this led to clashes between the two groups.
Narasampet assistant commissioner of police (ACP) RV Phaninder told reporters that some people tried to burn Sharmila’s bus. “As the local police rushed to the spot, they fled the spot. We are on the lookout for them,” he said.
Later, the police took Sharmila into custody and shifted her to Hyderabad. Her party workers staged a demonstration and blocked the roads, leading the police to use force to disperse them.
Sharmila asked why the police took her into custody instead of taking action against those who burnt her bus. “We have permission for our padayatra. Why are the police stopping me?” she asked.
Sharmila said she had been undertaking padayatra peacefully for the last 223 days to highlight the plight of people in Telangana.
“Our rising popularity has jolted chief minister KCR and his party men, who want to stop me at any cost,” she said.
According to her party, Sharmila’s Praja Prasthanam padayatra has crossed the 3500km mark across 75 assembly segments of the state. It said she has travelled to 1,863 villages under 208 mandals and 61 municipalities along with 4 municipal corporations.
TRS leaders refused to comment on the incident and Sharmila’s allegations.
