A case has been registered against BJP Telangana state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, MP, and others in Nalgonda district for violating COVID-19 lockdown guidelines, police said on Wednesday. The party condemned the police action and accused the ruling TRS government of foisting cases against party workers in the name of lockdown rules.
Police said, the Karimnagar MP, along with Nalgonda district BJP president K Sridhar Reddy and others, went to sweet lime farms in Peddavoora mandal of the district on Tuesday to speak to farmers there following which there was congregation of around 60 people resulting in jostling. Besides social distancing was not maintained which was all in violation of the ongoing lockdown rules, they said.
Acting on the basis of videography and photography evidence for violation of lockdown rules, a case was registered under IPC section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) against the MP and others, Superintendent of Police A V Ranganath told PTI.
However, BJP MLC N Ramachander Rao on Wednesday condemned the police action and said Sanjay Kumar and otherswent there to express solidarity with the distressed farmers (sweet lime growers) who have been facing problems in selling their crop.
But, police citing violation of lockdown rules registered cases, he said, adding that BJP is a disciplined party and never violates lockdown norms promulgated to prevent spread of this deadly disease.
Rao claimed police chased away and manhandled Nagarkurnool district BJP president Sudhakar Rao when he went to visit the market in Chaitanyapuri here to express his solidarity with mango farmers who had kept their crop there. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident after a video purportedly showing some police personnel pushing Sudhakar Rao was telecast by local TV channels, police said.
The BJP MLC alleged that by foisting cases the TRS government is trying to suppress the voices of the opposition members who wanted to give feedback to the government about the farmers problems.