'Telangana is Afghanistan, KCR is Taliban': YSRTP chief Sharmila

YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) president Y S Sharmila was on Sunday (February 19) taken into preventive custody in Mahabubabad district, in connection with a case booked against her for making alleged derogatory remarks against the BRS MLA Banoth Shankar Naik.

Based on a complaint by a local BRS leader a case was registered against Sharmila under relevant sections of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said. The complainant accused Sharmila of insulting the legislator belonging to the ST community, through her comments during her ongoing state-wide padayatra Praja Prasthanam in Mahabubabad district on Saturday.

Police said they have cancelled permission for the foot march citing law and order situation, as her statement triggered protests by BRS partymen, demanding action against Sharmila. “We have taken her into preventive custody and for her own safety she is being shifted to Hyderabad,” a senior police official told PTI.

YSR Telangana Party Chief YS Sharmila on Sunday had launched an acerbic attack on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao calling him the Taliban.

While talking to mediapersons in Mahbubabad, Sharmila said, “He (Telangana CM KCR) is a dictator, he is a tyrant; there is no Indian Constitution in Telangana, there is only KCR’s Constitution. Telangana is the Afghanistan of India and KCR is its Taliban.”

Also read: How YS Sharmila has emerged as a serious player in Telangana politics

A case was registered against Sharmila under Section 504 of the IPC (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace] and Section 3(1)r of the SC ST POA Act.

Sharmila’s remarks

Sharmila had allegedly attacked Naik in a public meeting. “You gave many promises to the people, which you have not fulfilled. If you are not fulfilling your promises, that means you are a kojja [castrate],” she said in a public meeting on Saturday.

Also read: Why statehood movement heads feel ‘national leader’ KCR should support them

Following the incident, BRS staged a protest in the district against Sharmila for her alleged derogatory remarks. The protestors raised slogans like “Go Back Sharmila” and burnt the hoardings and flexes of YSRTP.

The padayatra of Sharmila, daughter of former CM of undivided Andhra Pradesh Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, and sister of current AP Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, has currently covered over 3,800 km and will complete 4,111 kms when it reaches Palair in Khammam district.

A massive public meeting is scheduled to be held on March 5 in Palair, where the padayatra is set to conclude on a high note. The padayatra began on October 20, 2021 from Chevella.

(With agency inputs)