YS Sharimila arrested, booked under SC ST Act; permission to padayatra cancelled

HYDERABAD: The Mahbubabad police on Sunday morning arrested YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) president YS Sharmila following a complaint by BRS leaders alleging that the latter had made inappropriate remarks against MLA Shankar Naik. The police took her into custody and shifted her to Hyderabad.

YS Sharmila is continuing her Padayatra with the High Court's permission and is taking on BRS leaders wherever she is visiting. Against this backdrop, the YSRTP chief levelled charges against the BRS Mahabubabad MLA Shankar Naik alleging that the latter had been involved in bribery cases while working as an assistant engineer. She was enraged over Naik for calling her a settler and asked him to divorce his wife as she belonged to Nellore. She fumed and said nobody should be called a migrant or a settler.

The BRS leaders, who had complained to the police, staged a protest at Sharmila's Camp in Bethole of Mahabubabad, which led to a tense atmosphere. The police deployed forces at her camp site and permission for Sharmala's Padayatra was cancelled. The police registered a case against YS Sharmila under the SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act for her comments on the MLA. Meanwhile, she was taken into custody and shifted to Hyderabad.