BRS MLA Rajaiah seeks apology from woman sarpanch; says he\'s sorry too

Warangal: Having faced public humiliation, Station Ghanpur MLA Thatikonda Rajaiah went to the house of Janakipuram sarpanch K. Navya and sought a public apology from her on Sunday for her tarnishing of his image.  

The woman sarpanch had alleged last week that the MLA was harassing women public representatives both sexually and mentally. The MLA spoke to the sarpanch and her husband Praveen in the presence of the media at Janakipuram village in Dharmasagar mandal of Hanamkonda district.

Navya however reiterated her charges against the MLA. She said the allegations she made against him were correct. “I see nothing wrong in speaking about the injustice being meted out to women by Rajaiah,” she said.

“Since many cases of sexual abuse and harassment of women and girls were taking place in the society. To give them courage and urge them that they should not tolerate such harassment, I came out and spoke about women identity and rights,” she explained.  

She said she had respect for MLA Rajaiah as he had given her the ticket to contest and also helped her become the village sarpanch. “The BRS party is like a family to me. I am ready to forget whatever has happened if MLA Rajaiah assures me that such actions will not recur. I am ready to accept his apology,” she added.

The MLA told the media that he was deeply upset over the ruckus between him and Navya. “If I did any wrong, knowingly or unknowingly, and made Navya suffer mentally, I am sorry and urge her to excuse me,” he said.

Rajaiah said he could understand the stress Navya suffered, as “I too have four sisters.”  He said that it was out of a respect towards Navya’s husband Praveen that he gave a ticket to her. He said he would strive hard for the development of Janakipuram village and immediately sanctioned Rs 25 lakh for its developmental works.

The BRS village sarpanch had alleged that MLA Rajaiah was harassing her sexually and mentally and creating hurdles in the implementation of developmental works in her village. She had also alleged he was making frequent phone calls to her and talking for hours together on the phone, urging her to fulfill his wishes. She also said he had promised to give her money, land and works if she obliged him. She also said all other women sarpanches were also facing the same problems from MLA Rajaiah.

On Saturday, the BJP leaders along with the former minister Vijaya Ramarao and district party president Rao Padma consoled the village sarpanch by visiting her house and extending their support to her. They alleged that Rajaiah faced several such allegations in the past too and went to jail for sexually harassing a woman. Navya belonged to a dalit community.

Meanwhile, the Telangana state women commission took up the case on suo moto basis. Its chairperson Sunitha Laksham Reddy issued an advisory to the state DGP to hold an inquiry into the allegations against the MLA.