Big showdown over Vikarabad protest

Hyderabad: The farmers' protest that took place at Vikarabad followed by attacks on officials, including district Collector Prateek Jain seem to be turning into a major showdown between the Government and the BRS.

While the government alleges that there is a deep-rooted conspiracy by the BRS leadership to defame the government on the Pharma City project and hence was inciting the party workers to indulge in such acts, the BRS party says that the government foisted false cases against his party leaders.

On Wednesday, KTR alleged that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had deliberately created a law and order problem in the village to acquire lands forcefully to develop the pharma city in which the CM’s relatives were stakeholders.

 Amidst this scenario, the police on Wednesday arrested BRS ex-MLA Patnam Narender Reddy at KBR park where he had gone for his morning walk and was taken to Kodangal. Later, he was produced in a court which remanded him for 14 days’ judicial custody. On the other hand, KTR visited the house of Narender and assured the family that the party would stand by them and extend all help.

The police in their remand report mentioned the name of BRS working president K T Rama Rao and some others saying that it was a pre-planned attack on officials and district Collector with the intention of destabilizing the government. It said they had deliberately incited the farmers with the help of their follower B Suresh. It further said that money was also paid to some of the attackers to create disturbance and violence.

They were told not to worry about cases as the party would take care of all such issues, the remand report said. The district police have also arrested a group of villagers on their alleged role in the attack on the officials.

IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu visited KADA (Kodangal Urban Development Authority) special officer Venkat Reddy, who was injured in the attack.The minister said that strict action would be taken against the leaders who instigated villagers during the Grama Sabha on land acquisition for the proposed Pharma City.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy took a broadside at the BRS for creating law and order problems. The ministers warned that legal action would be taken against those responsible in the entire episode.