Hyderabad: BJP MLA T. Raja Singh was allegedly hurt during a scuffle with Hyderabad police while he was trying to replace an old statue of Rani Avanti Lodh, a freedom fighter, with a new one, late on Wednesday night in Jumerat Bazaar.
The Goshamahal legislator alleged that he was beaten up by police. The police refuted the allegation and claimed that he had hit himself with a stone on his head to cause the injury. They said that a video showed Mr Singh with a stone, and he could have injured himself.
Dr K. Laxman, BJP state president, has called for a bandh in Goshamahal constituency on Friday.
Tension started when some people gathered at the Jumerat Bazaar Y junction at around midnight and attempted to replace the old statue of Rani Avanti Lodh with a 24-feet statue using a crane. Patrolling police made inquiries. People told police that they were replacing the statue on the instructions of Mr Raja Singh.
Complainant I.S. Kurumurthy of Shahinayatgunj police stated the statue installers could not show the permission letter to install the statue. He informed his senior officers and as per their instructions, the crane was moved to Goshamahal grounds.
At about 12.40 am, Mr Raja Singh came to Jumerat Bazaar Y junction, argued with police and allegedly abused them in filthy language.
Mr Kurumurthy said that at about 1.45 am Mr Raja Singh along with his followers identified as Yougesh Singh, Anand Singh, Pradeep Singh, Raju Singh, Deepak Singh and about 300 persons assembled at the spot and brought the statue along with them. They shouted Jai Shri Ram slogans in front of mosques to allegedly disturb the peace.
The legislator demanded that police allow them to replace the statue as it had been damaged. He said that it was a practice to install a new statue every two years. Police asked him to refrain as he did not have permission to do so. He could do it after obtaining the permission from civic officials and police.
At about this time, some of the people who gathered there allegedly started scuffling with police during which Mr Raja Singh received injuries on the head.
The legislator alleged that he and his party workers were beaten up by policemen. They later replaced the statue. DCP West Zone A.R. Srinivas refuted Mr Singh’s allegation that police had attacked him.
He said that there were about 100 policemen to control the situation along with additional DCPs and ACPs of Goshamahal and Asifnagar.
He said that Mr Raja Singh and more than 200 people had started a scuffle with police and attacked them.
“Our officials were injured, but surprisingly Mr Raja Singh claimed in the morning, that he was attacked, which is not true. A video which has gone viral shows Mr Raja Singh carrying a granite stone. He was seen placing the stone on his head and might have got injuries due to hitting himself,” the DCP said.
He added that though no one was arrested, they had registered a case and would arrest the culprits after investigation.
A case has been registered against Mr Raja Singh at the Shahinayatgunj police station under crime No 125/19 under IPC sections 143, 145, 147, 152, 153 (A) 353 read with 149 for unlawful assembly, rioting, assaulting public servants, promoting disharmony and using criminal force to deter public servants from discharging their duties.
Later, TS BJP president Dr K. Laxman and party MLC N. Ramchander Rao visited the residence of Mr Raja Singh at Mangalhat, expressed solidarity with him and condemned the incident.
Later a delegation of BJP leaders led by Dr Laxman met additional DGP (law and order) Jitender and submitted a representation. The delegation included Mr Raja Singh, Mr. Ramchander Rao and former MLA Chintala Ramchandra Reddy.
