Hyderabad: Huzurabad BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy apologised on Friday evening following a controversy over an objectionable remark he made against Karimnagar police commissioner Ghaus Alam a day earlier. Earlier in the day, the Telangana IPS Officers’ Association had sought an unconditional apology.On Thursday, Kaushik along with his family members and several supporters, was stopped by the police at Parkala X Road while they were on their way to the Mini Medaram religious festival at Veenavanka village in the Huzurabad constituency. Police said that only the BRS MLA and his family members were permitted to proceed, but the MLA insisted that his supporters be allowed to accompany him.
Objecting to this, the MLA, his wife and daughter, along with their supporters, sat on the road in protest. When police intervened and attempted to clear his supporters from the road, the MLA took serious objection, and argued with the policemen, obstructing them from doing their duties. During the altercation, he allegedly made an objectionable remark against the police commissioner, referring to his religion.Anticipating trouble, Paddi Udaynanda Reddy, on whose family land the religious event was to be held, had submitted a petition to the police and other district officials a few days earlier, seeking preventive action to avoid any law and order issues during the 50th year of the Mini Medaram Jatara at Veenavanka.Objecting to Kaushik’s presence on the land and his intention to break a coconut to inaugurate the event, which was stated to be in violation of traditional practice, the police took the MLA and his family members into custody.On Friday, a video of Kaushik Reddy making objectionable comments against the police commissioner and the police went viral. In a statement, the Telangana IPS Officers’ Association said: “The IPS Association is deeply disturbed by the cheap insinuations made regarding a serving officer’s religion, wherein it was falsely alleged that he was attempting religious conversions. The Association views this episode as a serious attack on the morale, independence and dignity of the civil services. The Association hereby demands an immediate, unconditional public apology from Padi Kaushik Reddy.”Police have also registered a criminal case against the MLA, who subsequently issued an apology.
