Defected MLA reaches BRS MLA's house, dares him to come out

Hyderabad, Sep 12 (IANS) Tension prevailed outside the residence of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA P. Kaushik Reddy at Kondapur here as defected MLA Arekapudi Gandhi and his supporters reached there following a bitter war of words between the two legislators.

Gandhi was later detained and whisked away by police after some of his supporters barged into the premises of the BRS MLA and clashed with the BRS workers.

Several supporters of Gandhi were arrested by police as they continued the protest raising slogans against Kaushik Reddy.

Earlier, Gandhi squatted outside the BRS MLA's house and dared him to come out. Gandhi used objectionable words to lash out at Kaushik Reddy.

Gandhi said since Kaushik Reddy did not come to his house after throwing a challenge to hoist the BRS flag and make him wear a BRS scarf, he has come to his house and dared him to come out.

Kaushik Reddy, the MLA from Huzurabad in Karimnagar district, alleged that there was an attempt to kill him. He warned that there would be a counter-action tomorrow.

Police had earlier placed Kaushik Reddy under house arrest to prevent him from leaving for Gandhi's house.

The police had also stepped up security at the residence of Gandhi, who had accepted the challenge and announced that if Kaushik Reddy did not come to his house, he would go to his house.

Gandhi, the MLA from the Serlinigampally constituency, started for Kaushik Reddy's residence in a big convoy of vehicles along with his supporters.

Gandhi, who was elected to the Assembly on a BRS ticket but joined the Congress party in July, was Monday appointed as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a post usually given to opposition members.

This had led to a bitter war of words. The BRS slammed the ruling Congress party for appointing a turncoat MLA as PAC chairman and demanded his disqualification along with the disqualification of nine other defectors but Gandhi claimed that he is still in the opposition.

The BRS leaders alleged that Gandhi was trying to escape disqualification as they had stepped up their efforts to get the defectors disqualified following the High Court directive on disqualification petitions.

The High Court had Monday directed the Assembly Speaker to decide within four weeks on the petitions filed by BRS seeking the disqualification of three defected MLAs.

On Wednesday, BRS legislators KP Vivekananda and Kaushik Reddy met the State Legislature Secretary and submitted a memorandum, urging him to start the process of hearing the three disqualification petitions by the Speaker as directed by the Telangana High Court.

They also wanted the Speaker to take action on seven other disqualification petitions which are pending with him.

Reacting to Gandhi's statement that he was still in opposition, Kaushik Reddy challenged him to accept the BRS scarf. Kaushik Reddy announced that he would visit Gandhi's house on Thursday and offer him the BRS scarf.

Arekapudi Gandhi, the MLA from Serilingampally constituency in Greater Hyderabad, joined the Congress on July 13 in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at the latter's residence.

Gandhi was elected Serilingampally on Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ticket in 2014 but later joined TRS (now BRS). He retained the seat in 2018 and 2023.