Telangana BJP chief N Ramchander Rao hit back at BRS’s KTR, who demanded Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s resignation over a POCSO case involving his son. Rao accused KTR of frustration and politicizing a personal family matter.
BJP Hits Back at KTR’s ‘Frustration’
Telangana BJP chief N Ramchander Rao on Friday criticised BRS leader K T Rama Rao over his demand seeking the resignation of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar in connection with the alleged involvement of the minister’s son in a POCSO case.
Speaking to ANI, Rao alleged that BRS leaders were frustrated due to the BJP’s growing support base and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government’s programmes. He further accused KTR of raising issues irrelevant to Telangana politics and unnecessarily dragging a victim’s family into public scrutiny. “There seem to be no other issues before him. They have no following and no public support. Therefore, because the Bharatiya Janata Party is growing and Prime Minister Modi’s programmes are achieving grand success, people are showing their solidarity with Narendra Modi. Consequently, BRS leaders are disturbed and frustrated, picking up issues that are completely irrelevant to the public and to Telangana politics. This is a personal family matter, yet KTR is responsible for dragging the victim’s family out onto the streets and exposing them before the public,” he said.
Rao Accuses KTR of Exposing Victim’s Family
Calling it a personal family matter, Rao alleged that KTR was exposing the victim’s family publicly in an attempt to defame BJP leaders. He further said that under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the identity of a minor victim cannot be disclosed, and accused KTR of attempting to reveal the identity of the family and the minor girl.
Rao also advised the BRS leader to focus on public issues instead of targeting BJP leaders. “Under the POCSO Act, the identity of a minor victim must not be disclosed. But KTR is hell-bent on exposing the identity of the family and the girl just to defame the BJP. I advise KTR, as his party is in the opposition, to let him concentrate on actual public grievances rather than continuously attacking Bharatiya Janata Party leaders,” said Rao.
KTR Demands Minister’s Resignation for Fair Probe
Earlier, BRS Working President KTR demanded the immediate resignation of Bandi Sanjay Kumar to prevent him from influencing the investigation into the alleged POCSO case against his son. “If someone saved a POCSO accused in Hyderabad for 9 days, it is Revanth Reddy. I don’t know on whose behest he did that,” KTR told reporters while questioning the delay in police action.
He further said that if the accused had belonged to an ordinary family, the police would have acted swiftly. “Tell me, had it been a common man’s son or daughter who did that, would the police have spared their family? Police would have picked them up, brought them to the police station and beaten them into telling the truth, all within 24 hours,” KTR said.
KTR demanded clarity on the alleged delay, asking, “All we are asking is who saved the POCSO accused for 9 days. Revanth Reddy did.”
Targeting Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, KTR questioned the fairness of any probe if a Union Minister remains in office. “If you are a Union Minister, how will there be an impartial inquiry? PM Modi gave the slogan of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. But when it comes to action, Beta Bachao Beta Bhagao is being practised here,” KTR told reporters.
Legal Proceedings and Counsel’s Statement
Meanwhile, Bandi Sanjay’s son, Bandi Sai Bhageerath, was remanded to judicial custody until May 29 in connection with the alleged case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
According to his counsel, Advocate Karunasagar, Bhageerath surrendered before the police, following which standard investigative procedures were initiated. Karunasagar said Bhageerath cooperated fully with the questioning and expressed confidence that his client would be acquitted of all charges and proven innocent as the judicial process moves forward.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)