Police in Telangana’s Karimnagar town have arrested state BJP chief and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar for attacking police personnel and violation of Disaster Management (DM) Act during tha protest on Sunday night to demand the state government to amend an order relating to transfer of government employees and teachers.
Amid high drama and tension, the police on Sunday night foiled Sanjay’s ‘Jagran Deeksha’ at his camp office.
The MP, who was kept at Manakondur Police Station overnight, was on Monday shifted to the Police Training Centre in Karimnagar town.
Karimnagar Police Commissioner Satyanarayana told reporters that the MP and other arrested persons will be produced in a court after Covid-19 tests and other medical tests.
Tension prevailed at the Police Training Centre as a large number of BJP workers gathered there to protest over Sanjay’s arrest. They raised slogans against Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Karimnagar police commissioner.
The protestors entered into an argument with the police officers, following which they were detained by the police.
Satyanarayana said two FIRs were registered at Two Town Police Station. In one case, 21 persons and others were booked under section 51 (B) of Disaster Management Act and section 188 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for not maintaining social distance and for not wearing masks.
Atleast 70 people were arrested and were released after issuing notices to them, he added.
In another case, 16 persons and others were booked for rioting and attacking police personnel besides violation of DM Act. Five persons including Sanjay have been arrested.
The police invoked IPC sections 188, 332, 333, 149, 147, 188 and section 5 (B) of DM Act
The police chief said several policemen including an Assistant Commissioner of Police and a Circle Inspector were injured in the attack. He said despite repeated requests to abide by the Covid regulations which are in force, the MP and others went ahead with their programme violating rules and then resorted to rioting and attacked police personnel performing their duty.
Police had refused permission for the Karimnagar MP’s protest citing the orders in force banning meetings, rallies and other public gatherings. The party had set up a stage outside the MP’s office for the 10-hour long protest.
Sanjay, however, managed to enter into his office along with his supporters, and locked it from inside to stop police from entering the premises. High tension prevailed as the MP’s supporters threatened self-immolation if the police foil their protest.
The police personnel broke into the office. The MP and his supporters tried to resist the arrests. Police have to use the force to arrest Sanjay and 170 others and shift them to waiting police vehicles. While Sanjay was taken to Manakundur Police Station outside the town, other arrested BJP leaders and workers were shifted to other police stations.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and former minister Eatala Rajender has condemned Sanjay’s arrest. He termed the arrest as undemocratic. He said the MP was sitting on the protest peacefully in his office but the police resorted to high handedness at the instance of the state government.
