Hyderabad: Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar condemned the recent police searches at the homes of BRS leaders, calling them acts of harassment. He said his party did not follow the BRS-style of politics and respected democratic values.
Speaking to reporters at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, the minister said his party believed in lawful conduct. Moreover, he rejected allegations that the Congress government was misusing power ahead of the Jubilee Hills by-election.
Ponnam Prabhakar police searches: minister’s defence and counterclaims
Prabhakar said the Congress culture was not one of revenge or intimidation. “We stay far from coercive politics,” he said. Furthermore, he questioned how raids took place in areas where the election code was not in force. “If it’s a legal process, show us the law behind it,” he added.
He criticised the opposition for accusing the government of bias. “If you think we’ll misuse power and act as we wish, then you still believe you are in power,” he remarked sharply. He also reiterated that Congress would never engage in voter manipulation or unethical practices.
Meanwhile, BRS leaders accused the police of heavy-handed action. MLC Takkellapalli Ravinder Rao alleged that officers entered his house without prior notice. He claimed the police planted cash to create false cases against him. Consequently, he urged the State Election Commission to take immediate action against the officials involved.
Political row intensifies ahead of Jubilee Hills by-election
The controversy erupted just days before the Jubilee Hills by-election. BRS leaders alleged that the Congress government was targeting them to gain political advantage. They said the searches were meant to intimidate their supporters and disrupt campaigning.
However, Minister Prabhakar dismissed those allegations. He said the Congress government believed in transparency and fair governance. In addition, he stated that his party would respond to opposition criticism with democratic restraint, not aggression.
Police remained deployed in the Motinagar area to prevent further clashes between party workers.