Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president and Karimnagar member of Parliament Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who has been charged for breaking COVID-19 norms, assaulting police, and other provisions of the Disaster Management Act, will appear in the Karimnagar district court today.
Bandi Sanjay was arrested on January 2, for breaking COVID-19 rules by initiating a ‘Jagaran Deeksha.’ He planned to perform ‘Jaagran Deeksha’ (a Hindu ritual) to demand that the state government amend government order GO 317 and treat teachers and employees fairly.
Following tight regulations made by the state and federal governments in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, police denied permission for the ‘deeksha’ and arrested Sanjay when he attempted to perform it in violation of the restriction. In the middle of the night, he was transferred to the Manakondur police station in the Karimnagar district.
Bandi Sanjay and others arrested from party office
Along with the state president, other party leaders were also arrested two hours after the ‘deeksha’ was started. The police personnel forced their way into the office, breaking open the locks of the conference hall’s doors.
Sanjay in a protest against the police trying to force their way into the office, banged his head against a table, even as the police officer attempted to stop him.
He was brought out of his office and scurried away into the police van, even as party protestors tried to block their way, raising slogans against the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) party.