The high stake Assembly poll campaign in Telangana is taking a violent turn with the attack on Medak MP and BRS Dubbak candidate Kotha Prabhakar Reddy suspected to be a politically motivated one.
Soon after the assailant, Raju of Chepyala village, was thrashed and handed over to the police, photographs of him have come out showing him with different political party leaders. While one shows him with Dubbak BJP MLA M Raghunandan Rao, there is another one of Raju wearing a Congress scarf.
However, the veracity of these photographs was yet to be confirmed, with the police yet to divulge more details on Raju. The photographs are also said to be fake ones.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, speaking at a public meeting at Banswada, pointed out that Telangana had been devoid of such violent politics in the last 10 years and that the attack on Prabhakar Reddy would be seen as a personal attack on himself. He condemned such acts of violence and questioned the ethics of such actions in the political arena.
“We are engaged in a battle of ideas and issues. However, today the opposition resorted to a violent attack on our Dubbak candidate, Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, in Siddipet district. Thankfully, he escaped with minor injuries. It appears that they lack the capacity to contest elections or face the public. I must caution them to be wary,” he said.
“We hold a responsible position and our focus should be on serving the people, but not engaging in such malicious acts. Is this what politics has come to?” he asked.
The Chief Minister stressed that his party always upheld a non-violent approach to elections over the last 10 years. “We believe that our victory lies in the hands of the people. We have dedicated ourselves to serving those who are deserving, without resorting to any malicious actions. But if our patience is tested, we may not remain silent,” he said.
