Reinstallation of statue sparks row in city

Hyderabad: State BJP protested against the lathicharge on the party workers who resorted to reinstall a statue at Jumerath Bazar in city on Thursday.

The State BJP delegation led by its president Dr K Laxman on Thursday met Additional DGP Jitender and complained against police officials who resorted to lathicharge on the party's Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh and the party workers.

Addressing the media on the occasion, BJP MLC N Ramachander Rao alleged that the TRS government by colluding with MIM targeting the BJP leaders and its workers and directing the police officials to be over enthusiastic to deal with their leaders.

He said that even though the matter of reinstallation of the new statue of Rani Avanti Bai was related to the Municipal department, police officials in the name of law and order maintenance resorted to lathicharge on their leaders and party workers who were peacefully reinstalling the statue.

Replying to a question, Ramchander Rao said that the Additional DGP assured them to inquire into the matter and take the action based on the report by the senior officials.

Earlier mild tension prevailed at Jumerath Bazar in the Old City on Wednesday night when police prevented a group of locals from replacing the statue of Rani Avanthi Bai.

BJP legislator Raja Singh's entry further created tension in the area.

Raja Singh demanded the police to allow them to replace the old statue with the new one at the spot since the old statue had got damaged and it was a practice to install a new statue every two years.

When police did not allowed them to move further to replace the statue, large number of people started gathering at the spot and within minutes the situation became tense.

When police officials tried to take Raja Singh away from the spot, his supporters obstructed them and later police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd. Raja Singh suffered minor head injuries and was immediately shifted to Osmania General Hospital for treatment.

He alleged that he was beaten up by the police on the directions of ACPs of Goshamahal and Asifnagar and two Sub-Inspectors of Shahinayathganj.

Later reacting on the incident, Joint Commissioner of West Zone A R Srinivas clarified that Raja Singh himself caused a self-inflicted injury on his head with stone and making false allegations against them.

He further said that they have video evidences regarding the incident which are clearly revealing that Raja Singh hit himself with a stone on his head.

Police tried to rescue him and when the crowd forcibly tried to replace the 20-ft statue at Jumeratbazar without permission in violation of law and order, police obstructed him and his supporters.

Somehow when the video regarding the incident went viral in the social media, the claims of Raja Singh alleging that cops hurt him fell flat as video shows him injuring himself.