High drama prevailed in Hyderabad on Thursday as Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy along with other party leaders sat on the road after being stopped by police from proceeding to inspect a BRS government housing site.
Taking strong exception to the police action against him and other party leaders who were put under “house arrest”, Reddy declared that “the war has begun” against the BRS government.
With Reddy calling for a visit to the site of a government housing complex with double-bedroom homes meant for the poor at Batasingaram here, the day began with police putting several BJP leaders either under “house arrest” or taken into preventive custody.
Reddy, who condemned the police action against his party leaders in a tweet, landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here from Delhi and was heading straight to the construction site, but was stopped at the Outer Ring Road.
Amid downpour, Reddy squatted on the road along with other party leaders, miffed at being prevented from going to the site.
“Am I a criminal? Am I a terrorist? I have a right to go anywhere in India,” Reddy told Commissioner of Rachakonda Police D S Chauhan who tried to persuade the Union Minister and other leaders to vacate the place.
Reddy was later physically lifted by police and taken away from the place to the state BJP headquarters at Nampally in the city.
Speaking to reporters, Reddy lambasted the BRS government for allegedly failing to deliver on its promise of constructing two-bedroom houses for the poor even after being in power for nine long years.
BJP had planned to launch an agitation on the issue at a later date after he formally took over as state BJP president but wanted to see the construction site at Batasingaram on Thursday as the construction remained incomplete, he said.
“This is not even a protest. When I wanted to visit (the site), I don’t know why hundreds of policemen were deployed outside our office,” he said.
“I was followed from the airport (after landing). Am I a criminal? Am I an anti-social element? Am I a terrorist? Did I ever violate any law in my life? Police jeeps were stopped before my vehicle, the road was blocked. Police Commissioner, DCPs, hundreds of policemen put a blockade,” he said.
When he got down from the vehicle, he was taken into custody without giving any reason, he said.
Why should the restrictions be imposed on him and party leaders as if he is going to a sensitive area, Reddy asked.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao should answer the people’s demand for double-bedroom houses in the state, he said.
Saying that the Chief Minister’s family is “afraid of its own shadow”, he alleged that police action has been taken against the BJP leaders as the former is feeling insecure.
“The people’s anguish will not subside with our arrests. The war has begun today. They started war on their behalf. We are ready for war. BJP will definitely fight a peaceful and democratic war with BRS, Kalvakuntla family (CM’s family) as per the rights given by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and with the support of Telangana people,” he said.
“We will fight for the poor. We will fight for double-bedroom houses. We will fight for the unemployed, for jobs, for unemployment dole… War has begun KCRji,” he said.
Asked about Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav’s comments that the Centre has not given adequate funds for housing, Reddy said it is his responsibility to get Central share and funds if the Telangana government built 50 lakh houses for the poor in the state.
Meanwhile, Srinivas Yadav said Telangana is the only state in the country to build double-bedroom houses for the poor.
Describing Kishan Reddy sitting on the road as a “political drama”, Yadav said the Union Minister could have gone officially to see the two-bedroom houses.
He claimed that funds worth Rs 600 crore vis-a-vis housing has been pending with the Centre for the last three years.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)