While the BJP has called for statewide protests against the arrest of the party’s state unit president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Telangana police detained BJP MLAs Raghunandan Rao, Eatala Rajender and other leaders on Wednesday.
As a large group of BJP members arrived at the police station to protest against Sanjay Kumar’s arrest, the area outside the station became hostile. To handle the situation, more police officers were dispatched to the location. To disperse the demonstrators, police roadblocks were built roughly two kilometres from the police station.
Raghunandan Rao and his supporters were also stopped by the police. The lawmaker, who intended to meet police officers, was held and driven off in a car. Women were also among the demonstrators who chanted anti-police slogans and attempted to block the automobile. Protesters attempted to breach the police perimeter and go closer to the police station, which resulted in a scuffle. Several protesters were arrested.
Raghunandan asserted that during Sanjay’s arrest, police breached the rules set down by the Supreme Court. According to him, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) administration was bringing ‘Bihar-like disorder’ to Telangana. He was detained near Bommala Ramaram police station in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district where he was lodged.
At Shameerpet, a neighbourhood outside of Hyderabad, the police apprehended another BJP lawmaker, Eatala Rajender. The MLA was placed under preventative detention. He questioned the police’s decision to hold him when he was on his way to the Party headquarters.
Bandi Sanjay was later transported from the police station. The BJP workers attempted to block the police car that was taking him. The cops took them into custody. He would possibly appear in court in the Nalgonda district. He was arrested from his in-laws’ house in Karimnagar around 12.45 a.m.
He was taken to a hospital in Palakurthi for a medical examination where BJP members tried to stop the police convey which led to a lathi-charge on them.
They also tried to stage a protest and stop the vechile outside the hospital.
The BJP leader is arrested concerning the leak of test papers from the 10th-grade exams. Police claimed that immediately after the exam started in Warangal, someone leaked the Hindi question paper and provided it to Bandi Sanjay over WhatsApp. Prashanth, the accused, is reportedly a BJP worker.
In the meantime, the BJP organised demonstrations around the state to oppose Sanjay’s arrest and raised slogans against the current dispensation.
H. Kishan Reddy, the minister of tourism and culture, has denounced the police action. He called Director General of Police Anjani Kumar to inquire about the case that led to Sanjay’s arrest. The police chief assured that information about the case will be made available soon.