TRS lodges plaint over BJP MLA's 'inflammatory' speech

Hyderabad: The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Tuesday lodged a complaint against BJP MLA M Raghunandan Rao and party candidate Eatala Rajender alleging that they had made highly inflammatory speeches during a meeting, and sought severe action against them.

On Tuesday, the TRS leaders led by party general secretary M Sreenivas Reddy lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer. They submitted a video recording which reportedly had the speech delivered by Raghunandan Rao in the presence of Eatala. "While addressing the members of BJP youth wing of Huzurabad constituency, the MLA made inflammatory statements instigating the youth to revolt against police and attack and beat them up physically," noted the TRS team.

Sreenivas Reddy said that the contents of the speech made by Rao were offensive and totally in violation of Model Code of Conduct. Further, it amounted to grave offence under the provisions of Representation of People Act, 1951 and also under the provisions of Indian Penal Code. He said that the video footage also clearly showed more than 3,000 people attending the meeting sans following Covid-19 norms, which was nothing but poll code violation.

Sreenivas Reddy said that it was a serious offence which has been committed by Raghunandan Rao who deliberately instigated youth asking them to revolt against the lawfully established government, the police and the administration.

"In his speech, Rao specifically took mention of Commissioner of Police and others who are involving themselves in conducting the bypoll peacefully and asking the youth to attack them. He also issued open threats to election staff that they will be implicated in cases and would be removed from their jobs. This indicates that they want to win the elections by hook or crook, said Reddy, requesting the authorities to immediately act against the MLA and Eatala.