TRS and BJP responsible for the death of Agnipath protestor: Revanth Reddy

The TPCC President was arrested while on his way to participate in the last rites of Rakesh

Police prevented the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President A. Revanth Reddy from going to Narsampet to attend the last rites of Damera Rakesh, who died on Friday in the violence erupting during protests against the Agnipath scheme at the Secunderabad railway station.

Mr. Reddy was stopped by the police near Ghatkesar in Medchal district on the Warangal highway and was asked to come to the police station as he was being taken into preventive custody. A furious Mr. Reddy entered into an argument asking the police why was he being stopped when the TRS Ministers and MLAs were participating in the last rites of Rakesh holding party flags.

He asked on what grounds they were stopping him in his own Parliamentary constituency. He wondered whether the entire police force was working only to stop his movements in the State as he was arrested by the Nirmal Police on Friday when he tried to reach out to the students protesting at the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT).

After heated arguments and Congress cadre raising slogans against the government, he was forcibly shifted in a police vehicle.

Earlier, addressing a press conference at his residence, Mr. Reddy took objection to the TRS party covering Rakesh’s body with the party flag and said nothing can be ‘more shameless’. “After killing the young man, the TRS has decorated the final journey vehicle with the party flags, indicating they will not leave any opportunity to extract political mileage even in unfortunate deaths,” he said, and charged the TRS and the BJP with killing the youngster while he was protesting.

The Congress MP lashed out at the Union Minister, G. Kishan Reddy for blaming the Congress, TRS and MIM for the violence and asked whether the protests in all the Northern States were also due to these parties. Instead of understanding the sentiments of the youngsters, the Union Minister’s statements were provoking them further, he said.

Mr. Reddy asked the Minister to convey the anger of the youngsters to the Union Home Minister and ensure compensation of ₹1 crore to Rakesh’s family. He also took a jibe at the TRS working president and IT Minister, K.T. Rama Rao saying it has become a habit for him to tweet on any issue and Mr. Kishan Reddy responding to it while the real issues are relegated.