Raghunandan sits in protest as BJP, TRS fight intensifies

HYDERABAD: The war of words between the BJP and the TRS intensified on Thursday in Mirdoddi of Dubbaka constituency represented by BJP’s M. Raghunandan Rao. The BJP MLA who wanted to visit the Thogutta vegetable market yard for an inauguration, was reportedly blocked by TRS workers. An angry Raghunandan Rao, who was subsequently detained by police in Mirdoddi, sat in protest at the local police station for over four hours demanding the police take action against TRS workers.

As soon as news about the BJP MLA’s detention by the police spread, a large number of BJP workers gathered at the police station shouting slogans demanding that the MLA be allowed to go.

However, Raghunandan Rao said he would not leave the police station unless the police explained why no action was taken against TRS workers. Meanwhile, the police locked the gates and prevented anyone else from entering the premises, even as some TRS workers gathered at the place and started shouting slogans against the BJP.

With the situation getting tense, the assistant commissioner of police Deva Reddy pressed into service additional police forces at the police station to prevent further escalation.

Following the incident, BJP national vice-president D.K. Aruna accused the Telangana state police of becoming TRS’ agents and questioned why the police was silent when TRS workers prevented Raghunandan Rao’s visit to the market yard. She demanded strict action by the government on police officials who failed to provide security to the BJP MLA.