Hyderabad: BJP seeks suspension of Siddipet CP Joel Davis

Hyderabad: Alleging illegal clampdown by police on its leaders and party workers in the State, Telangana BJP leaders demanded the Election Commission to suspend the Siddipet Commissioner of Police besides transferring the revenue and police officials who were favouring the ruling TRS.

A delegation led by party national executive member Nallu Indrasena Reddy and party MLC N Ramchander Rao met Chief Electoral Officer Shashank Goel on Tuesday and submitted a representation.

The BJP delegation complained about how the State police have harassed the saffron party contestant for Dubbaka bypoll, Raghunandan Rao, and his family members and relatives.

The delegation alleged that the police have foisted false criminal cases against the party workers in Siddipet ahead of Dubbaka polls which does not even fall under its jurisdiction. They urged the Election Commission to direct for a CBI investigation into the Monday's incident and deploy central forces for conducting free and fair elections.

They accused Siddipet Police Commissioner Joel Davis of misusing his power. The police and revenue officials conducted raids at the instance of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Finance Minister T Harish Rao, they alleged.

The BJP leaders alleged that 15 persons wearing masks had forcefully gained entry into the house of the father-in-law of the BJP contestant at Siddipet. "They did not serve any notice before conducting the raids. They forcefully took away the cell phone of the contestant's wife, and they did not spare even a 10-month-old baby," they rued.

They alleged that the police concealing themselves had conducted the search operations and violated the covid rules. Further they entered the house without lady constables, and served the notice only in the evening at around 5.50 pm just to foist false cases.

"While the election is going to be conducted at Dubbaka, the cases were registered at Siddipet one town police station, which is not within the territorial jurisdiction of Dubbaka Assembly constituency," they noted.

The BJP leaders alleged that the police have used brutal force against the party activists resulting in several of them sustaining injuries. That apart, they complained that the BJP activists and Siddipet BJYM presidents have been beaten up in Siddipet to extract confession statements.

"The police are threatening BJP activists with dire consequences and not allowing the party men to campaign in villages," they alleged, seeking appointment of a police observer.