New Delhi: With just days left in campaigning for Telangana polls on December 7, the state Congress chief and party’s candidate from Kodangal, Revanth Reddy was arrested from his home in an early morning raid on Tuesday.
According to Indian Express, officials claimed Reddy’s was a pre-emptive arrest ahead of chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s public meeting as the Congress leader had called for a bandh in Kodangal today and asked people not to attend the rally.
Reddy’s wife said around 40 police officials barged into their home at around 3 am. “My husband and I were sleeping in the room along with our daughter. Are we terrorists that they should treat us like this?” Geetha Reddy was quoted as saying. “When we asked to see their identity cards, they refused. They just dragged away my husband like a criminal.”
Reddy has reportedly been shifted to a jail around 90 km from his constituency Kodangal.
P. Narendra Reddy, a candidate of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), had filed a complaint with the Election Commission as well as DGP M. Mahender Reddy, accusing the Congress leader of instigating people against TRS and the chief minister.
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The election body had thus directed the state police to take action to ensure law and order is maintained, following which Revanth Reddy was taken into preventive custody.
On his part, the Congress state chief – who was formerly with the Telugu Desam Party – has said that the bandh was to protest against police harassment of his supporters under the guise of searching for money being allegedly distributed to voters. According to NDTV, Reddy said it had nothing to do with KCR’s rally and his party has alleged intimidation by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
The Congress called the arrest a “stain on our democracy”, adding that it was a sign that KCR’s party fears an imminent loss in the elections.
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“We appeal to EC that such intimidation goes against the spirit of free & fair elections,” Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar tweeted along with a video showing several policemen in protective gear entering Reddy’s residence and escorting him out.
This, however, is not the first time that action has been taken against Reddy in the run-up to the polls. Just last week, homes of him and his associates were raided with the state chief election officer claiming that Rs 51 lakh was seized. He was also among the five politicians who were served notice after the Election Commission received complaints accusing them of violating the Model Code of Conduct.
According to NDTV, Reddy alleged that he was facing “politically-motivated persecution.”