Several BJP leaders who were remanded in judicial custody, including its Suryapet’s chief Bobba Bhagya Reddy, who was accused one, in Huzurnagar’s Gurrambode Thanda violence last month, were released from Nalgonda District Jail and Huzurnagar sub-jail on Wednesday.
The violent outbreak on February 7, ahead of BJP’s Girijana Bharosa Yatra on the disputed land parcel of 540 survey number at Gurrambodu Thanda, witnessed damage and destruction to private property, and stone pelting, resulting in bleeding injuries to police officials on duty.
Subsequently, the police had identified 21 persons as accused, including BJP State chief Bandi Sanjay and Dubbak legislator M. Raghunandan Rao, for rioting and violence.
On Wednesday, BJP leaders from the State and the districts garlanded their accused colleagues and distributed sweets on their release from jails. They described the released as “heroes in the movement for tribal land issues.”
Former MP Vivek Venkataswamy said BJP would stand up for the rights of tribals, “unlike CM KCR who only makes promises at the time of elections.”
In Huzurnagar, Mr. Bandi Sanjay welcomed the released party men.
The BJP leaders, during the visit, faced resistance from activists of Swaeroes, an initiative of the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions, near Kodad, for their remarks against senior police officer and secretary of the institutions R.S. Praveen Kumar.
The remarks and counter protests were in the light of a video featuring Mr. Kumar in an event in Peddapally, where he was seen taking the ‘Buddha Vandanam’ pledge read out by a local Buddhist family.
On Wednesday, there was high tension near Kodad when about 30-40 ‘Swaeroes’ attempted blocking the BJP’s convoy. Videos showed the persons were engaged in heated exchange and minor clash.
Suryapet Superintendent of Police R. Bhaaskaran addressed a late evening press meet and said the BJP State chief Mr. Sanjay was not present in any of the vehicles in the blockade, and he was already safely escorted away via Kodad-Miryalaguda route. He clarified that news content circulated on various social media portals was fake.
For the incident at the blockade-protest site, based on a petition by Mr. Bhagya Reddy, a few unknown persons were booked for wrongful restraint (S 341), criminal intimidation/common intention of all (S 506 r/w 34 IPC) at Chilkur police station.
