Hyderabad: Responding to the Kyathanpally attack during the municipal governing body elections, Telangana Labour and Mines Minister G. Vivek Venkatswamy said the law would take its course. He alleged that leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) carried out a deliberate assault against him and his supporters.
Dr Vivek stated that a false propaganda campaign had been running for a week. According to him, the campaign accused him of obstructing the municipal election process. However, he clarified that all members participated in the elections in a free and fair atmosphere.
He further said that, unlike in previous elections where voting rights were allegedly curtailed, this time the process was conducted democratically. There was no intimidation, he asserted.
Kyathanpally attack sparks political confrontation
Explaining the sequence of events, Dr Vivek said that on the first day some leaders arrived late and did not take part in the election process. On the second day, when he and others went to exercise their ex-officio voting rights, they were allegedly obstructed and attacked.
He claimed that former MLA Balka Suman hurled a traffic cone at their vehicles during the incident. As a result of the violence, a police constable sustained serious head injuries. In addition, a Congress party worker was also injured.
The Minister said Balka Suman was arrested following the alleged assault on the constable. At the same time, he criticised attempts to link him falsely to the violence and tarnish his image.
Dr Vivek clarified that no BRS leader had been arrested or implicated in false cases so far. Moreover, he asserted that his side had not resorted to violence at any stage. He maintained that he has never encouraged unlawful actions and recalled that even during the 2023 elections he followed due legal procedure while filing his nomination.
Calling it unfortunate that a former MLA would attack a sitting MLA, he said the public is closely observing developments. He added that visiting those in jail sends a wrong message to citizens.
The Minister concluded that any party confident of its strength should contest elections peacefully and assume office democratically. However, he warned that unlawful actions would be dealt with strictly, reiterating that the law will take its own course in the Kyathanpally attack case.
