Simmering political rivalry spill onto streets in Kamareddy

Hyderabad: Kamareddy became the epicentre of intense political unrest on Sunday as a fierce rivalry between BJP MLA Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy and senior Congress leader Shabbir Ali escalated into violent street level clashes. The district witnessed high drama throughout the day with police maintaining a strict security presence as tensions continued to simmer across the town. What began as a verbal war of words over the alleged land grabbing of government college property has now transformed into a major district wide showdown necessitating mass arrests and the heavy deployment of security forces to maintain public order.

The conflict initially erupted after Shabbir Ali accused the BJP MLA of involvement in corruption and irregularities regarding lands belonging to the government degree college, Shishumandir school, and Arora College. In a sharp retaliation, Ramana Reddy branded Ali the king of corruption and challenged him to present any concrete evidence before the public. The MLA declared with confidence that he would resign in the Speaker’s official format if even a single yard of misappropriation or corruption could be proved against him.

Both leaders sent signals to their respective cadres, eventually agreeing to hold a public debate at Shishumandir. While Ramana Reddy dared the Congress leadership to come forward with their proofs, Congress activists accepted the challenge, claiming they possessed definitive evidence of the alleged irregularities and mobilising hundreds of workers to attend the site.

Anticipating significant violence, the police deployed heavy reinforcements across Kamareddy and placed Ramana Reddy under house arrest at his camp office. Security was specifically tightened at Shishumandir and the MLA’s residence, with authorities issuing stern warnings against any illegal gatherings. Despite these restrictions, hundreds of Congress workers attempted to storm the sensitive locations. Approximately 100 activists were arrested during the fray, although some managed to breach the perimeter of the MLA’s camp office to raise slogans against him.

The situation turned physically violent when BJP supporters retaliated against the protesters. They attacked a car belonging to a Congress leader, smashing its windows and successfully overturning the vehicle in the street. Police units rushed to the scene to disperse the angry crowds, yet the atmosphere remained incredibly tense as both political sides refused to back down from their positions.

From his house arrest, Ramana Reddy issued a defiant statement, urging his followers not to gather at Shishumandir and insisting that he alone would prove his innocence through proper channels. Later, while addressing the media, Reddy accused Shabbir Ali of intentionally misleading the people of Kamareddy. He pointed out that although Ali had held influential positions such as councillor and ZPTC, he had done little for the local constituency. Reddy reminded the public that Kamareddy was the location where Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had previously faced defeat, alleging that Congress leaders were now desperately attempting to malign his reputation without any factual evidence. Reflecting on his political journey, Reddy acknowledged the late CM YS Rajasekhar Reddy as his original political guru, recalling his previous electoral victories under the Congress banner with YSR’s support. He shifted his focus to criticise Ali for allegedly constructing a five-storey building without necessary municipal permissions. Reddy warned that this confrontation was just a trailer for the real movie ahead, confirming that he had already lodged a formal complaint with the SP regarding various threats.

The MLA vowed to intensify his outreach by visiting villages from Monday despite the attempts to restrain him. He categorically denied any irregularities in the 263 acre government degree college land, challenging his opponents to verify the fixed deposits existing in the college committee’s name. He also highlighted his long term efforts to demand a Telangana University in the region. Reddy concluded by warning that any physical harm coming to him would be the direct responsibility of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, framing the entire dispute as a personal confrontation between himself and the head of the state government.