Despite a clarification from the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao that he didn’t disrespect the Prime Minister, the saffron party isn’t convinced. On Monday, the BJP tried to lay siege to the Chief’s Minister’s camp office Pragathi Bhavan.
Police arrested several BJP supporters who tried to protest at Pragathi Bhavan, including Khairtabad MLC C Ramachandra Reddy. Police also foiled the attempt of the BJP activists who tried to take a rally to the CM’s camp office.
Foreseeing the protests, which were announced by the party on Sunday, police made elaborate arrangements and put key party leaders like G Kishan Reddy and state party president Laxman under house arrest.
Speaking to TNM, BJP spokesperson PV Subhash said, “He is lying that he didn’t disrespect the Prime Minister. The recordings clearly show that he called him ‘gaadu’. We will continue these protests, until the Chief Minister apologises unconditionally.”
He further said that the BJP will carry out protests across the state, until the Chief Minister admits his mistake and apologises for it.
Condemning the arrests, he said that in a democracy people should be allowed to protest. “In Telangana there is no democracy. Our party leaders were put under house arrest because of their dissent. Isn’t it wrong and anti-democratic to put people behind bars for expressing dissent?”
Responding to the CM’s pitch for the third front in the upcoming general elections, he said, “The BJP welcomes it. It believes in democracy, unlike the TRS.”
Reacting to the Chief Minister’s challenge in which he said that the BJP will not even get a single seat in Telangana, he said that the wave of BJP which has won the Tripura elections made KCR go berserk.
“BJP has won elections in Tripura, the bastion of the Left. Soon it will topple the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka. Fearing that even Telangana would be captured by the BJP, he is making all these attempts of a third front,” he said.
“We have a strong cadre with a strong presence in the state. The CM will realise the power of BJP in the general elections,” he said.
On Saturday, KCR held a press meet and issued a clarification that he didn’t disrespect Narendra Modi. He also took a dig, saying that they don’t even consider the BJP as a major party.