Hyderabad: In an incident of an alleged violation of protocol, Alampur BRS MLA Vijayudu had to face insult and detention, after he turned on the pump for lifting Tungabhadra waters through Thummilla lift irrigation scheme in Rajoli mandal of Jogulamba Gadwal district on Tuesday morning, August 6.
Due to heavy inflows in the Tungabhadra River, irrigation officials invited Vijayudu to officially turn the pump on, to lift and deliver the water into the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) canal, which would irrigate the lands in Alampur mandal till the distributary 22.
After he formally turned on the switch of the pump along with his followers and went to the delivery main to offer prayers to ‘Ganga,’ to his shock, despite waiting the water did not flow.
The reason for the delay was that AICC secretary SA Sampath Kumar, who was defeated by Vijayudu in the Assembly elections, reached the pump house and turned off the pump started by the latter. After a while, he restarted the pump by breaking a coconut and offering prayers there.
Meanwhile, Vijayudu, along with his followers made a sit-in at the delivery main, questioning how a defeated candidate who was not presently a people’s representative, could be allowed to turn on the pump.
They raised slogans against the Congress government and demanded that the lifting of water that was stalled, be started again, and Vijayudu be allowed to offer prayers to the Tungabhadra water there.
Gadwal additional ASP Gunashekhar reached the spot and tried to convince the BRS MLA not to make an issue out of it, but to no avail. Finally, the police took Vijayudu into custody and shifted him to Shanthi Nagar police station. He was soon after released.
Criticising Congress government’s ‘Praja Palana’ claiming that the people’s representatives were being humiliated every day in the state, BRS working president KT Rama Rao condemned what he termed as “atrocious conduct” of district officials who he claimed, have insulted MLA Vijayudu.
“@TelanganaCS What is the reason for insisting on inviting the Congress party leaders who’ve been rejected by people to all official meetings & programs? Have the protocols been redefined in Telangana to humiliate elected representatives,” KTR questioned through his post on X, on Tuesday.
