Hyderabad: A political showdown over allegations of corruption in Gurukul institutions intensified on Wednesday. Police detained Harish Rao while he was on his way to Gun Park. The BRS leader had accepted Social Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman’s challenge for a public debate on Gurukul institutions and State borrowings.
Officers intercepted Harish Rao’s vehicle after he left Telangana Bhavan. The action triggered a heated argument between BRS workers and police personnel. Questioning the move, Harish Rao asked why officers had stopped him after ministers publicly invited him for the discussion.
Harish Rao detained after accepting debate challenge
Harish Rao told the police that Ministers Adluri Laxman, Ponnam Prabhakar and Mohammed Azharuddin had invited him for the debate. He urged the officers to contact the ministers if necessary. According to Harish Rao, the ministers were waiting for him at the Martyrs’ Memorial.
Further, Harish Rao said he was travelling to question the government on behalf of the public and Dalits. He added that he was carrying a letter from Konda Surekha, High Court orders and records that, according to him, related to tenders awarded to drug suppliers and brokers.
However, officers told him they would not allow him to proceed without permission. In response, Harish Rao said he would continue on foot. As he stepped out of the vehicle, officers blocked his movement.
Meanwhile, a scuffle broke out between police personnel and BRS workers. During the commotion, Harish Rao fell to the ground. Immediately after, BRS workers protested the police action. They accused the police of preventing their leader from attending the debate.
Later, police took Harish Rao and several BRS workers into custody. The BRS leader alleged that the Congress government had invited him for a debate but prevented him from attending through police action. He maintained that he would have exposed the government’s alleged irregularities before the media.
In a separate development, authorities also detained R.S. Praveen Kumar and former minister Srinivas Goud near Telangana Bhavan. They were on their way to meet Minister Jupally Krishna Rao for a discussion on State borrowings.