Causing a flutter in Khammam district on Sunday, Telugu Desam Party activists caught a lorry ferrying Bathukamma sarees with stickers of caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s photo. The lorry was seized by the police and later let off, as, the police say, the Election Commission has not found any poll code violation.
The Election Commission had directed the caretaker government led by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi against distributing the sarees as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was in place. However, violating the MCC, the TRS was allegedly caught transporting the sarees. The TDP said that the sarees were loaded from Choutuppal in Yadadri district and were to be unloaded in Kothagudem district.
“When the lorry stopped at Paleru after it ran out of fuel, we asked him what load was he carrying. The driver said that he was transporting Bathukamma sarees. He said that he was taking them to Sathupalle constituency. The sarees have KCR’s photo stuck on them. We chased the vehicle and caught it in Khammam. This is a ploy to defeat our MLA from Sathupalle, Venkata Veeraiah,” said a TDP worker.
A lorry laden with Bathukamma sarees created a flutter in #Khammmam dist as Mahakutami workers demanded action against the TRS. The state EC has prohibited TRS from distribution of these sarees as model code of conduct is in place. Where were the sarees being taken? #Telangana pic.twitter.com/EGuWouHHTo
— Paul Oommen (@Paul_Oommen) October 29, 2018
The TDP supporters alleged that 50 lorries were transporting these sarees against the EC order.
Following the protests and objections raised by the TDP activists, Khammam Urban Police had seized the vehicle and after investigation, they let the vehicle go.
Speaking to TNM on Monday, Khanapur Haveli Inspector said, “We did not register any case, the Election Commission authorities had investigated the matter and let them off as they didn’t find any violation.”
The TRS government distributed cotton sarees for the poor last year during Bathukamma festival – which happens during Dasara. However, after the TRS government dissolved the Cabinet prematurely on September 6 and went for early polls, the Model Code of Conduct came into effect by default as per the latest amendment by the Election Commission. After receiving complaints from the opposition parties that distributing these government sarees would affect free and fair elections, despite an appeal by the TRS leaders, the Election Commission had issued orders against the saree distribution.