Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay arrested, activists stage protest in Karimnagar

HYDERABAD: The Karimnagar police arrested Telangana BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday from his in-laws’ house at Jyotinagar in Karimnagar town. However, the reasons for the arrest were not immediately known, but there were reports that Bandi Sanjay was arrested on the news that he would hold a press meet over the allegations on the SSC Hindi paper leakage issue on Wednesday.

According to information, Bandi Sanjay had been to his in-laws house at Jyotinagar in Karimnagar town to attend the 9th-day ceremony of his aunt who had passed away recently. Upon learning Sanjay was in the town, the Karimnagar ACP Tula Srinivas along with his staff reached there and told the former that they were arresting him. However, as the Karimnagar MP refused to go with the police besides seeking reasons, the cops detained him forcibly, which led to an altercation between the police and Bandi Sanjay. Utter chaos and confusion prevailed as the police physically lifted him and whisked him away even as the BJP workers resisted the arrest.

The BJP activists also reached Bandi Sanjay's in-laws residence and obstructed the police from arresting the MP. They raised slogans against the police, which led to a tense situation for some time. The police, however, arrested Bandi Sanjay and shifted him to a vehicle without giving any sort of hint as to where he was being taken.

Meanwhile, with the police vehicle facing a problem in the midway at Lower Manair Dam near Thimmapur, the police shifted Bandi Sanjay to another vehicle while BJP activists followed the police vehicle. The activists and the family members wanted to know where he was being taken as they don't have any information on the whereabouts of Bandi Sanjay and staged a sit-in protest in Karimnagar.

The police shifted him to Bommala Ramaram police station in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district.

Sanjay tweeted saying: “Fear is real in BRS.! First they stop me from conducting press meet & now arrest me late in night. My only mistake is to Question BRS govt on its wrong doings. Do not stop questioning BRS even if I am jailed.”

The BJP national general secretary B L Santosh threw his weight behind Sanjay and quite tweeted the latter’s tweet saying: Rattled , riddled with corruption charges , facing electoral reverses @BRSparty & its leadership is a sinking boat . They have touched a raw nerve by arresting @BJP4Telangana State President & MP @bandisanjay_bjp . This will be the last nail on their political existence .”

However, hundreds of tweeple from Telangana, including BRS supporters, tweeted criticising the attempts to leak question papers and playing with the lives of lakhs of students.