Hyderabad: The YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) on Monday claimed that the caravan in which its supremo YS Sharmila was using to rest during her ongoing ‘Praja Prasthanam Padayatra’ was today attacked and burnt down by members of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
The incident transpired near Lingagiri village in Chennaraopeta mandal, Warangal district. Sharmila was detained by the police soon after and was picked up by the local police.
This is the second time that the YSRTP has faced attacks during Sharmila’s ongoing Padayatra. Earlier on November 17, TRS workers allegedly attacked their YSRTP counterparts. YSRTP leaders alleged that TRS men tried to physically harm their party activists, tore banners, posters and party flags at Katikanapalli.
On Monday, the YSRTP, in a statement said that the attacking mob broke glasses of cars belonging to YSR Telangana Party leaders. “Ms. Y S Sharmila was participating in the 223rd day of her Padayatra, when a group of men chanting pro-TRS slogans and hailing KCR, reached the place where the caravan was halted and torched it,” said a statement from the YSRTP.
“For the past 223 days, me and my Party leaders and representatives are holding a peaceful Padayatra to highlight the plight of various sections of people in Telangana. Our rising popularity has jolted Chief Minister KCR and his Party men, who want to stop me at any cost. It is highly unfortunate that some Police officers are siding with the ruling party and disrupting our efforts to reach the people and raise their issues,” Sharmila said after the incident.
The ‘Praja Prasthanam Padayatra’ by Sharmila, who is the daughter of former (joint) Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, crossed 3500 kilometres. She has criss-crossed between 75 Assembly segments in Telangana. She has covered 1863 villages under 208 mandals and 61 Municipalities along with 4 Municipal Corporations so far, added the statement from YSRTP.
Sharmila launched the YSRTP in Telangana, after she was reportedly snubbed by her brother and AP chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. After campaigning for her brother, who heads the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in the 2019 Lok Sabha and state polls in AP, she was unable to find space in the YSRCP. Sharmila’s YSRTP did not contest the recently held Munugode bypoll in Telangana.
Sharmila is banking on her father’s legacy, as YSR’s welfare schemes made him widely popular in the erstwhile AP state, until his death in 2008.
