KTR accuses Congress of violence after Jubilee Hills bypoll
HYDERABAD: K T Rama Rao on Monday accused the Congress of resorting to violence and intimidation within 24 hours of the Jubilee Hills by-election result.
KTR visits injured BRS worker in Rehmat Nagar
KTR met BRS worker Rakesh Christopher at his residence in Rehmat Nagar after he was injured in an alleged attack by Congress supporters on Sunday night.
He said the ruling party misused official machinery during the bypoll in which Maganti Sunitha Gopinath, wife of late Maganti Gopinath, was the BRS candidate.
KTR alleged that the “arrogance of power” shown by the Congress and the inaction of the Election Commission contributed to the BRS’s technical defeat.
‘Did our workers ever behave like this in 10 years?’
Condemning the incident, KTR asked Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to clarify whether such acts were acceptable.
“When we were in government for 10 years and you were in the opposition, did our workers ever cross limits like this? Yesterday your people took out a rally with our party vehicle, insulted it and behaved in a cheap manner. We won seven bypolls and corporation elections earlier, but never acted like this,” he said.
He added that the people of Telangana would decide “who carries arrogance and who carries confidence”.
‘Congress must take responsibility’
KTR said the assault on Rakesh Christopher, “a Christian minority worker”, was unacceptable and the Congress, along with the Chief Minister, must take responsibility.
He said victories and defeats were part of elections, but continuing vendetta and violence even after polling “will not be forgotten by the people”.
BRS leaders express solidarity
KTR said he met all members of Christopher’s family, along with leaders including Vishnuvardhan Reddy, Sunitha Gopinath, Kaushik Reddy and Kukatpally MLA Krishna Rao, besides several corporators.
He assured party cadres that no worker in Jubilee Hills would be left unprotected. “If anyone faces even the slightest trouble, we will stand at their doorstep,” he said.
‘Despite rigging, our candidate secured 75,000 votes’
KTR alleged that the Congress won despite “rigging, rowdyism, bogus voting and distribution of money and gifts”. He said the BRS candidate securing 75,000 votes was significant.
He announced a meeting of Jubilee Hills BRS workers on Tuesday, where future plans would be discussed. “We will raise the pink flag again in Jubilee Hills,” he said.
