Just hours before the curtains came down on the high voltage campaign for the Munugode Assembly byelection in Telangana, an incident of stone pelting was reported at Palivela village in Munugode mandal on Tuesday afternoon.
The convoy of BJP leader Eatala Rajender was allegedly attacked by TRS activists causing injuries to a few BJP activists and damage to the windscreen of Mr. Rajender’s vehicle. The TRS, on the other hand, too accused the BJP of resorting to attack on its activists on the way to attend the roadshow of party working president K.T. Rama Rao.
According to the information reaching here, the incident allegedly started with stone-pelting by unidentified persons on Mr. Rajender’s convoy. Heated arguments followed between activists of the BJP and the TRS, who came face to face and later scaled up to fisticuffs, blows and attacks against one another. However, the police intervened and dispersed the two sides before the situation could go out of control.
TRS leaders claimed that MLA Peddi Sudershan Reddy, Rythu Bandhu Samithi Chairman Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, Zilla Parishad Chairperson Jagadish and a few others sustained minor injuries in the attack by BJP workers. They alleged that BJP activists attacked TRS ranks on the way to attend the KTR’s roadshow with stones.
Speaking later, Mr. Rajender alleged that the attack on his convoy was carried out at the behest of TRS leader Mr. Rajeshwar Reddy. He blamed the police’s negligence for the attack on his convoy. He alleged that TRS leaders had carried out the attack according to a plan, and said the TRS would not stop BJP from winning Munugode with such petty tactics in which 10 to 15 vehicles of his convoy were damaged.
Meanwhile, another TRS leader and Minister T. Harish Rao alleged that the BJP activists had resorted to attack on TRS ranks with the fear of defeat. He urged the TRS ranks to observe restraint and not to fall prey to the “conspiracies” of the BJP.
Further, Mr. Harish Rao alleged that BJP activists also attacked TRS supporters at Aregudem in Choutuppal mandal, when they questioned BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy as to why he was visiting the village now after keeping himself away since his election in December 2018. A similar attack on TRS supporters had also taken place at Ankireddygudem with BJP activists attacking them with sticks and stones brought in their vehicles, Mr. Harish Rao alleged.
