Arekapudi Gandhi, Followers Break Into Kaushik Reddy's House

Challenges and counter-challenges between BRS defector MLA Arekapudi Gandhi and BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy turned violent today.

Gandhi accompanied by his followers went to Reddy's house in Madhapur in the city. There was a commotion at Reddy's residence as Gandhi's supporters and Congress workers got into an argument with the police demanding permission to enter Kaushik's house. They pushed the police and tried to enter the residence, and the leaders and activists of both the parties attacked each other.

It is learnt that eggs and tomatoes were thrown at Reddy and other BRS leaders. The windows of his house were also reported to have been broken.

With a large number of Congress workers arriving at the house of Reddy, it became a bit difficult for the police to control them. Gandhi along with his followers staged a sit-in at Reddy's house, and when the police tried to send him away, he was angry and demanded that Reddy be called out of his house. He demanded that he be sent inside the house if they could not bring Reddy out. A scuffle broke out between the police and the followers of Gandhi. Some of the followers pushed the gate and entered Reddy's house. Gandhi was soon arrested by the police. He was taken home by them later.

Earlier, Gandhi spoke to the media. He said that he had gone to Reddy's house because Reddy did not come to his house. "You couldn't come to my house. So I've come to your house myself. Reddy's behaviour has not been right right since he came to the BRS," he said. He said that the BRS was defeated because of Reddy's style of functioning and his creating regional differences.

"Kaushik Reddy is a broker. The BRS was destroyed when he joined it. It was because of him that the party lost," Gandhi claimed.

Meanwhile, Reddy reacted to the attack on his house by the followers of Gandhi. "Gandhi took his rowdies and came to my house. There was an attempt to murder me. It was the police who attacked them, niot my followers. This action will exactly have the same reaction. You'll see what happens tomorrow. I will definitely go to Gandhi's house tomorrow," he said.

He alleged that Gandhi had cheated TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu after winning on a TDP ticket, and then cheated KCR by winning on a BRS ticket. He challenged Gandhi to resign and win again.