BRS Hooliganism Is An Assault On Democracy: Vivek

Telangana Labour and Mines Minister Gaddam Vivekanand (also known as Gaddam Vivek Venkatswamy) today strongly condemned the alleged acts of hooliganism by BRS leader Balka Suman during the Chairman election process at the Kythanpalli municipality, and said that such actions amounted to an assault on democracy.

Addressing a media conference at the Chennur MLA camp office along with Peddapalli MP Gaddam Vamsi Krishna, the minister said that despite the Model Code of Conduct being in force and police barricades being in place, Suman arrived at the venue with a group of supporters and attacked their vehicle.

He claimed that the attack resulted in injuries to a police constable and a Congress worker.

The minister said that Vamsi Krishna and he had gone to the municipality in their capacities as co-option members to exercise their lawful voting rights during the oath-taking ceremony and Chairman election. However, they were targeted and attacked by Suman and his followers, he claimed.

Venkatswamy said that during the BRS regime democratic institutions were undermined and intimidation tactics were frequently employed, but that the Congress government had conducted the elections in a completely democratic manner without any pressure or coercion. Despite that, attempts were deliberately made to create unrest, he claimed.

The minister termed it unfortunate that Suman was holding press conferences and making false allegations against him. He argued that moving in groups during the enforcement of the election code was a violation of the law, and said that his followers and he had stepped out only after their councillor had been attacked inside the municipal premises.

Claiming that the video evidence clearly showed the sequence of events, the minister demanded that the police immediately register a case against Suman and initiate strict legal action.

Vivek also said that after being elected as an MLA, he had not filed cases against any BRS worker nor harassed any of them, and alleged that such violent behaviour by the BRS leaders stemmed from frustration following electoral defeats. Criticising the political culture of the BRS, he recalled incidents during the Telangana movement when the residence of M Kodandaram was attacked. He urged Suman to refrain from hooliganism and respect democratic norms.

As per reports, violence marred the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson elections of the Kyathanpally municipality after members of the BRS allegedly attacked the convoy of G Vivek Venkataswamy and G Vamsi Krishna. Stones were hurled at their vehicles, damaging them and injuring a police constable and two others.

The unrest began when the police stopped BRS MLA Kova Lakshmi and former MLA Balka Suman from entering the Municipal Council hall. Tensions between the BRS and Congress supporters quickly escalated, forcing the police to resort to a lathi-charge to restore order. Social media videos purportedly showed Suman engaging in unruly behaviour and removing barricades.