The Telangana High Court today issued orders to the ECI and the Telangana police to provide security to Barrelakka alias Sirisha, who is contesting as an independent candidate from the Kollapur Assembly constituency.
The High Court directed that security be provided to her till until the Assembly elections.
Barrelakka had approached the High Court seeking 2+2 security for herself citing a threat to her life. In this context, the bench said that it was not fair to give security to only recognised parties' candidates, and that security needed to be provided to any candidate who cited a credible threat for their life. It also said that the Election Commission was responsible for the safety of the contesting candidates.
Sirisha started attracting attention after a video of her rearing buffaloes went viral on the social media a couple of months back. While she did not mention the government's name, her comments that she was not getting jobs despite having earned degrees made everyone take notice. Hailing from Nagarkurnool district, she became famous with just one video. She says that since then she has also been facing threats.
Born in a poor family and claiming to be fighting for job, Barrelakka is moving ahead in her own way of campaigning and attracting voters. Many people are supporting her.
filed in:Telangana, Telangana High Court, High Courts, Courts, Legal, Security