MLAs' poaching: TRS activists burn Narendra Modi effigies across Telangana

HYDERABAD: Scores of leaders and activists of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) vented their anger over the alleged bribing scandal, targetting four of their party MLAs, by burning the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at various places in Telangana on Thursday.

In Choutuppal, falling under the Munugode Assembly constituency, Telangana Minister for Roads and Buildings Vemula Prashanth Reddy led a TRS protest on Thursday. Even as party workers burned the effigy of Narendra Modi, Prashanth Reddy condemned what he called the strong-arm tactics of the BJP to force leaders of other parties to join its fold.

In a spontaneous protest staged at Ambedkar Square in Patancheru on the outskirts of Hyderabad, TRS cadre and leaders raised slogans against the BJP for what they described as the national party's lust for power. Later, they burned the effigy of Narendra Modi to register their resentment.

The party members vehemently condemned the Narendra Modi-led Central government's attempt to poach TRS MLAs with the bait of hefty bribes. "The BJP party members are stooping so low to resort to such unacceptable tactics as they were unable to digest the development measures being implemented by KCR," said the party members. They also protested at Ambedkar Square against what they described as nefarious acts of the BJP.

The effigies of Narendra Modi were also burnt on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad Highway near Choutuppal. The TRS activists also raised slogans against the Prime Minister. "TRS MLAs are not for sale," they shouted. Telangana Minister for Endowments and Law Indrakaran Reddy also led a protest of party workers at the Choutuppal bus stand, denouncing the alleged unethical practices of the BJP.

Another Telangana Minister Malla Reddy, while taking part in a protest, said: "The BJP, which has been creating a divide in the name of religion and caste, is also attempting to lure the MLAs of other parties into joining its fold. They tried to repeat what they did in Maharashtra but fell flat on their face," he commented.

Meanwhile, the BJP leaders also retorted by burning the effigy of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in Choutuppal Mandal.