BRS Leader Patnam Narender Reddy Arrested in Connection with Vikarabad Violence
Hyderabad: In a major turn of events, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former minister Patnam Narender Reddy was arrested on Wednesday, November 13, in connection with the Vikarabad violence. The arrest followed his detention earlier in the day at his residence in Film Nagar, Hyderabad.
Reddy is accused of involvement in an attack on Vikarabad district collector Prateek Jain and other government officials during a public hearing on a proposed pharma unit in Lagcherla village. While the district collector, Prateek Jain, has denied allegations of being physically attacked by protesting villagers, he acknowledged that mischief elements had stirred trouble during the protest.
Jain clarified that he was not manhandled or attacked during his interaction with the farmers who were protesting the Pharma City project. He later stated that a person identified as Suresh, believed to be closely associated with Patnam Narender Reddy, was involved in inciting the villagers to attack the officials.
The police confirmed that Suresh was a key figure in inciting the violence and are continuing investigations into the incident. Reddy, after being arrested, was sent for a medical examination and is expected to be produced before the court shortly. Additionally, 16 farmers who were involved in the protests were remanded by the local court the previous night.
In response to Reddy’s arrest, BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) criticized the Congress-run state government, alleging that the arrest was politically motivated. KTR described the actions against Reddy and other detainees as “undemocratic” and claimed that the Congress government was attempting to suppress public protests. He also called for the immediate release of Reddy and the detained farmers, stating that the BRS party has faced such tactics before, particularly during the Telangana movement.
The situation in Vikarabad remains tense as authorities continue their investigation into the violent protests that have escalated in recent weeks.
