Dubbaka: ACB raids on BJP candidate M Raghunandan Rao ahead of Dubakka by-poll

Dubbaka: The attempt to search the premises of BJP Dubbaka by-election candidate M Raghunandan Rao by sleuths of Anti-Corruption Bureau on Monday led to tension and mild lathi charge. When the State BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar tried to go towards Siddipet, he was hit on his nose and was pushed into the police vehicle.

The ACB teams carried out simultaneous raids at eight locations, including Hyderabad, belonging to the BJP candidate and his relatives. The house of the uncle of Raghunandan Rao in Siddipet was also raided and the police claimed that they had seized Rs 18.65 lakh.

It is said that three teams accompanied by the Regional Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) conducted the searches at two locations in the Siddipet district. According to video clippings that have gone viral, as the ACB was seizing the money, the BJP activists rushed inside the house and were seen taking away wads of notes. In the melee, the CI and MRO fell down.

Raghunandan Rao took strong objection to the way the State government had resorted to such "vindictive" actions. The State BJP president Bandi Sanjay rushed to Dubbaka and condemned the incident. He said raids at a time when election was in process was against the election code.

Later when he left for Siddipet, the police stopped him and pushed him into their vehicle which according to Sanjay was nothing short of manhandling him. He was even hit while being pushed into the vehicle he said.

Reacting to the way the BJP cadre had behaved, the Finance Minister T Harish Rao said that it was BJP which was resorting to dirty politics and was enacting a reverse drama that the ruling party was resorting to vindictive politics. He said if the money was legal, why did they not show the evidence and why did they obstruct the police?

It may be mentioned here that on October 5, the police seized Rs 40 lakh from a vehicle near Shamirpet and arrested four people. It was claimed that they were close aides of the BJP candidate.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy also rushed to Siddipet to condemn the raids.