YSRCP leader Devalla Revathi, who is the chairman of Vaddera Corporation, was caught on camera physically assaulting a toll-booth employee on Thursday in Guntur, for allegedly demanding toll tax from the politician. The incident took place at the Kaza toll plaza.
The high handedness of the politician was filmed by the onlookers. In the video which has been shared online, Revathi is seen forcibly removing the barricade on the motorcycle lane, which prevents four-wheelers from accessing it.
When the employee resists her attempt, she grabs him by the collar and slaps him. After getting into a heated argument with him, she threatens him before getting into the SUV, forcing her way through the gate.
Devalla Revathi is the floor leader of Guntur Zilla Parishad.
Lawmakers like MLAs, MLCs and MPs along with other dignitaries, are exempted from paying the toll fee. It is unclear why the toll-gate employee denied exit to the chairman as she clearly came in her official vehicle with her designation imprinted boldly on the car.
However, this is not the first time that a politician misbehaved with the toll-gate employees.
In 2018, former Dendaluru MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakhar created a ruckus in the same toll booth when the staff demanded money from him. Prabhakar was not using his official vehicle at that time, leading to confusion.
After a heated exchange with the toll staff, the former legislator abandoned the car at the plaza creating inconvenience to other commuters. He then escalated the matter to the National Highway Authorities of India, following which the toll plaza staff apologized for the inconvenience caused.
Similarly, another former MLA from Telangana, Bodiga Shobha and her husband in 2018 allegedly assaulted the toll staff in Renigunta, when the latter denied her a free entry.
(This story was first published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission)
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