Telangana: BRS Leaders Put Under House Arrest To Prevent Meet At Defected Legislator's Residence

Kaushik Reddy, a BRS MLA from Huzurabad, had declared that he and party workers from Greater Hyderabad and combined Rangareddy district, would proceed to Gandhi's residence to hold a party meeting.

Political tensions in Telangana surged on Friday as police took preventive measures against opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders and workers who planned a protest at the residence of defected MLA Arekapudi Gandhi in Hyderabad. The BRS had announced a meeting at the residence of Serilingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi on Friday morning, which was to be attended by BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy, as reported by The Hindu.

In response to the planned meet, senior BRS leaders, including former ministers T. Harish Rao, P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, and T. Srinivas Yadav, were placed under house arrest. Kukatpally MLA M. Krishna Rao and Qutbullahpur MLA KP Vivekanand Goud were also confined to their homes as the police, particularly in the Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissionerates, remained on high alert to prevent any retaliatory violence following Thursday's attack on BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy's residence by supporters of Gandhi, as reported by IANS.

Large numbers of police personnel were deployed outside Gandhi's residence to avert any potential unrest. Kaushik Reddy, a BRS MLA from Huzurabad in Karimnagar district, had declared that he and party workers from Greater Hyderabad and the combined Rangareddy district, led by Medchal-Malkajgiri district president Shambipur Raju, would proceed to Gandhi's residence to hold a party meeting.

As BRS leaders and supporters began gathering at Shambipur Raju's residence to start a rally towards Gandhi's house, the police ramped up security efforts to prevent any protests and ensure law and order. Police forces were also reinforced at Kaushik Reddy's residence to stop him and his supporters from moving towards Gandhi's home.

Background of the Conflict

Arekapudi Gandhi, the MLA from Serilingampally in Greater Hyderabad, was elected on a BRS ticket but defected to the ruling Congress party in July. His recent appointment as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the state Assembly sparked a controversy amid ongoing legal battles by the BRS for the disqualification of ten of its MLAs who have defected to the Congress since March.

While Gandhi maintained that he was still with the BRS, as per the report, Kaushik Reddy announced plans to visit his residence, hoist the party flag, and offer him a BRS scarf. This challenge led to a heated exchange between the two leaders, with Gandhi accepting the challenge and daring Reddy to come to his house.

On Thursday, Gandhi and his supporters reached Kaushik Reddy's residence in Kondapur, challenging him to come out. Tensions escalated as Gandhi's supporters stormed the premises, causing damage to window panes and flower pots.