Hyderabad: High drama unfolded in Sircilla on Monday as a political protocol spat between the ruling Congress and opposition BRS snowballed into a full-blown confrontation, prompting police to resort to lathi charge and detain leaders from both sides.
Tensions had been brewing for days after a BRS leader publicly demanded that local MLA K T Rama Rao’s photo be mandatorily displayed at all official events. He even threatened to obstruct government programmes if the demand wasn’t met. In a counter-move, a Congress leader declared on social media that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s portrait would be installed at the Sircilla camp office, challenging the BRS’s claim to protocol precedence.
The war of words turned into a street showdown when Congress workers arrived in large numbers on Monday to place Revanth Reddy’s photo at the office. Sensing trouble, BRS supporters also gathered at the same spot, leading to heated exchanges.
A large number of police personnel present at the scene tried to prevent both groups from clashing. However, the situation quickly went out of control. As tempers flared and pushing began between the Congress and BRS workers, police had to resort to a mild lathi charge to disperse them. Several leaders from both parties were also taken into custody and shifted to the local police station.