A Telangana court on Monday, 3 January, sent state BJP chief and Lok Sabha MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar and four others to 14-day judicial custody after they were arrested on Sunday for allegedly attacking police personnel and violating the Disaster Management (DM) Act while COVID-19 protocols were in place.
The arrest was made amid Kumar's 'Jagarana Deeksha' on Sunday to demand an amendment of an order pertaining to the transfer of government employees and teachers, an event for which he was reportedly not granted permission, citing COVID-19 norms.
Kumar was produced at the Karimnagar district court on Monday following his arrest.
Why Was Kumar Arrested?
According to the remand, Kumar was arrested for "disobedience of the orders promulgated by the government, wrongfully restraining the public by obstructing the public way, assault and causing simple and grievous hurt to deter a public servant while discharging their duties, and damaging public property..."
The charges were levied against Kumar, district BJP president Gangadi Krishna Reddy, and several others, while they "proposed to conduct a deeksha" along with party workers at the BJP office in Karimnagar.
Citing violation of COVID-19 norms, the remand stated that Kumar and others "set up tents and platforms on the road, and asked their party leaders and workers to participate in the meeting in large numbers, and also made vide publicly through social media and other media."
The police further said that all the accused decided to pay a "deaf ear" to the prior intimation and notice served by them against conducting the event, and that Kumar had formed an "unlawful assembly, sitting in his party office, in preparation to attack the police party..."
The remand further alleged that "kerosene bottles and sticks" were kept ready in order to attack the police, adding that Huzurabad ACP Sri Venkat Reddy and several other police personnel were assaulted, and that they sustained injuries.
'Murder of Democracy': BJP Slams Arrests
BJP chief JP Nadda on Monday called the arrest "a murder of democracy and constitutional rights."
In a statement, as quoted by IANS, Nadda said that the Telangana police, under the pressure of the KCR government, forcibly entered the office of the BJP state president on Sunday night and resorted to violence and lathi-charge, and thrashed and manhandled senior party leaders and workers.
"This massive use of force and planned attack and violence against the BJP leaders, workers, teachers, and employees are nothing but acts of political vendetta and political anarchy that is prevailing in Telangana," Nadda said, as quoted by IANS.
Taking to Twitter, Union minister G Kishan Reddy called KCR's rule "autocratic."
"The suppression of protests and opposition voice continues under the autocratic rule of KCR. Strongly condemn the arrest of @BJP4Telangana President Sh @bandisanjay_bjp at his MP camp office [sic]," he tweeted.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)