Hyderabad: The BRS leaders on Thursday lodged a complaint against the Congress candidate in the Jubilee Hills by-election for allegedly threatening to eliminate the party’s cadre within a week. The BRS leaders, led by former Chairman Palle Ravi, met the Chief Electoral Officer and alleged that the Congress candidate Naveen Yadav publicly stated, “I will finish off the BRS Cadre in a week,” thereby issuing direct threats of violence. The BRS emphasised that the speech was not accidental or privateit was deliberately made in front of the press with an intention to send a message of fear to the public and political opponents, and the content has already gone viral on social media, creating a hostile atmosphere and disturbing the level playing field.

The BRS leaders point out that the conduct of Naveen Yadav clearly amounts to criminal intimidation, inducement through fear, and obstruction of free and fair elections, arguing these offences under the BNS are cognisable, non-bailable, and directly affect the electoral process. The BRS leaders urged the CEO to immediately register a complaint and FIR against Naveen Yadav under provisions of the BNS and Representation of the People Act, disqualify and debar him from contesting or campaigning, issue immediate restraining orders, direct all media houses to submit raw footage of his statements, and ensure protection for BRS party leaders and workers from any retaliation or violent acts.

The BRS leaders added that it was pertinent to mention that the Congress candidate was from a family with a 'Rowdy sheeter' background, and in the light of this, they stressed that the violent utterances need to be taken very seriously, particularly when the Congress party heads the government in the state and its machinery was allegedly being misused to gain an electoral advantage.