Arekapudi Gandhi’s followers attack the residence of Kaushik Reddy. Supporters of Serlingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi attacked the residence of Huzurabad BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy in a gated community in Kondapur today. Tensions escalated as Kaushik Reddy and Gandhi exchanged harsh words, with Kaushik Reddy vowing to visit Gandhi and hoist a BRS flag on Gandhi’s residence in Hyderabad. The police placed Kaushik Reddy under house arrest and increased security at Gandhi’s residence. Gandhi, who recently left the BRS to join the ruling Congress party, had justified the Speaker’s decision to appoint him as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, claiming he was still a BRS MLA. In response, Kaushik Reddy announced he would visit Gandhi’s house on Thursday to hoist the party flag, accusing Gandhi of betraying the party by defecting and accepting the PAC chairman position. Heavy police were deployed at both legislators’ homes in anticipation of a confrontation.

The BRS legislator was not allowed to leave his home due to police restrictions, but he challenged the Congress MLA to come to the party office and accompany him to meet the BRS chief. Gandhi, in response, questioned the former’s authority to challenge him and claimed that leaders like him were responsible for the party’s electoral defeat. Gandhi also announced that if the Huzurabad MLA fails to visit him, he will go to the latter’s residence. Later, Gandhi and his supporters went to the gated community where Padi Kaushik Reddy lives but were stopped by the police, leading them to stage a sit-in on the roadside.

A few supporters managed to enter the gated community and engaged in a physical altercation with the BRS party members waiting at Kaushik Reddy’s residence. They damaged some outdoor decorations and threw objects like stones, tomatoes, and eggs at Kaushik Reddy’s house, breaking the windows, but he managed to avoid them. Talking to reporters, Kaushik Reddy promised to respond in kind to MLA Gandhi. He explained that he would not be afraid of such attacks. He said senior police officers did not respond to his calls to arrest those who attacked him and his family.

-Sanyogita