Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Karimnagar district unit strongly condemned the arrest of Huzurabad MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy while he was travelling to the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara.
BRS Karimnagar district president GV Ramakrishna Rao said Kaushik Reddy was heading to the Jatara in his native Veena Vanka mandal along with his family members when the police stopped and arrested him. He issued a statement condemning the action.
Ramakrishna Rao said visiting public places, especially major religious and cultural events, formed part of an elected representative’s responsibilities. Therefore, he said an MLA had a duty to interact with devotees and understand public issues during such occasions.
He added that attending the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara also enabled public representatives to assess difficulties faced by devotees and convey them to officials. Hence, he said preventing an MLA from discharging such duties was unjustified.
Padi Kaushik Reddy arrest draws sharp reaction from BRS
Meanwhile, the BRS leader said authorities must respect the constitutional rights and protocol accorded to elected representatives. He stressed that officials should extend cooperation when public representatives perform their responsibilities.
Further, Ramakrishna Rao urged the concerned authorities to review the incident. He said officials must ensure that such situations do not recur in the future.
He also appealed for respect towards the roles and responsibilities of public representatives. The BRS district unit said the arrest raised serious concerns over the treatment of elected leaders.