E-Paper
Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay ‘arrested', says ‘fear is…’
Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged that he was forcefully detained from his Karimnagar residence on Wednesday.
A day after Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar demanded chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to reveal his post-graduate degree certificates, he alleged on Wednesday that he was detained by police in a late night operation. The BJP MP accused the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of political vendetta by arresting him for questioning the ruling party.
Sharing visuals from the scuffle that ensued over police’s attempts to take him into custody, he wrote, “Fear is real in BRS.! First they stop me from conducting press meet & now arrest me late in night. My only mistake is to Question BRS govt on its wrong doings. Do not stop questioning BRS even if I am jailed. Jai Sri Ram ! Bharat Mata ki Jai ! Jai Telangana !”
In the videos, a team of officers is seen at the BJP MP residence in Karimnagar, before dragging Sanjay into the police van amidst protests from supporters and party workers. According to news agency ANI, he was taken to Bommala Ramaram police station in Nalgonda district for alleged involvement in the secondary school exam question paper leaks.
Holding the KCR government responsible for the leakage of question papers of Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) and class 10, Sanjay had earlier called for the resignations of KCR and son K T Rama Rao from the Cabinet.
Also read: Bandi Sanjay’s remark on Kavitha stirs triggers row
According to the latest report, an FIR has been registered against Sanjay in Karimnagar and Warangal districts for protests led by BJP workers on the secondary school examination paper leak and ‘instigating students which may pose a threat to law and order in the state’.
State general secretary Premender Reddy told ANI that it was an ‘illegal’ operation to disrupt the prime minister’s scheduled visit to Telangana on Saturday to flag off the Vande Bharat Express train from Secunderabad to Tirupati.
Alleging that the action was initiated for calling out the KCR-led government for the TSPSC paper leak, he said, "…What was the need for this action against a Member of Parliament at midnight? What are the crime and case? They are not telling us anything.” Reddy added that the party would launch a state-wide protest against the ‘arrest’.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya also took to Twitter to condemn the BRS government.
“In a midnight operation, Telangana police has arrested BJP state President Bandi Sanjay Kumar on fabricated charges of being involved in secondary school paper leak. This won’t end well for KCR,” Malviya wrote.
While BJP leader Bangaru Shruthi moved a habeas corpus petition in the high court against the ‘arrest’ of Sanjay, party workers organised protests outside the police station where the state chief was being held, as per ANI.
Sanjay was later taken for a medical examination to a local hospital in Palakurthi, while party workers tried to stop the convoy and held demonstrations against his detention.
