Warangal Flex Banner Row: Konda Surekha Questions Police Over Arrests
Warangal: A row broke out on Sunday over the placement of a flex banner during the Dasara festival between the followers of endowment minister Konda Surekha and those of Parkala MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy in Warangal district.
The group owing allegiance to Surekha installed flex banners at Dharmaram mandal on Friday. But the next day, followers of Prakash Reddy tore down the banners and removed them, alleging that the banners did not feature photos of the MLA and hence insulted him.
After noticing the torn banners, Surekha’s followers got into a heated argument with Prakash Reddy’s followers, which ended in fisticuffs. Subsequently, Prakash Reddy’s followers lodged a complaint against Surekha’s followers at Geesukonda police station.
The Geesukonda police registered a case and arrested four followers of Surekha on Sunday. Reacting to this, a large number of Surekha's followers staged a road blockade on Dharmaram and Narsampet roads.
Geesukonda circle inspector Mahendar said that based on the complaint lodged by the victims, the police registered a case and took the accused into custody. "There was no political involvement, and the police just did their duty," he added.
Meanwhile, minister Konda Surekha arrived at the police station in an autorickshaw and questioned the police officials for arresting her followers. She asked the police why they arrested her followers and who exerted pressure on them to take such action.
She called commissioner Ambar Kishor Jha and sought immediate action against the police officials who arrested her followers. However, the commissioner assured her that they would conduct an inquiry, and if they found that the police overacted or did anything wrong, they would take departmental action against them. After this, the minister left the police station.
Before the Assembly elections, Surekha had asked for two MLA tickets: one from Warangal East for herself and the other from the Parkala constituency for her husband, Konda Muralidhar Rao. But the leadership had allotted her only the Warangal East constituency.
Revuri Prakash Reddy contested from Parkala and won. Since then, a cold war has continued between the two.
During Parliament elections, the followers of both leaders clashed with each other. Later, when the Surekha camp did not get some key posts like market committee chairmen and other nominated positions, she reportedly called Prakash Reddy and warned him against ignoring her followers.
As a damage control measure, in-charge minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy met with both leaders and told them not to indulge in petty issues as it damaged the party's image.
