There was a heavy presence of Delhi Police and central paramilitary forces personnel for barricading the ED office even as the supporters of the BRS leader staged a protest
As BRS leader K Kavitha appears before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, party workers and supporters protested against Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay for his reported derogatory comments against Kavitha.
According to reports, Sanjay was speaking to reporters about the BRS leader receiving summons from the ED and speculations that she might be arrested soon. "Media persons asked me earlier if Kavitha was going to be arrested. Will they kiss her instead of arresting her?” he allegedly said, according to reports.
The remarks did not go down well with party workers who also burnt down an effigy of Sanjay outside the Telangana Bhavan.
"Telangana is shocked by Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay's inappropriate comments against MLC Kavitha," BRS said in a tweet with posters of Bandi Sanjay.
According to a report by India Today, Bandi Sanjay’s office issued a clarification stating that the statement used by the BJP leader is a common phrase used in the Telugu language which means if someone does a crime, would you appreciate or punish.
"Some statements made by Bandi Sanjay about 3 days ago are being blown out of proportion. This is a common phrase used in the Telugu language which means if someone does a crime, would you appreciate or punish it,” the office of Telangana BJP president said in a statement.
The BRS MLC has been called by the agency so that she can be confronted with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandran Pillai, an alleged frontman of the "south group" who was arrested by the ED earlier this week. The agency will also record Kavitha's statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Kavitha recently asserted during a press conference here that she had done nothing wrong and alleged that the BJP-led Centre was "using" the ED as the saffron party could not gain a "backdoor entry" in Telangana.
(With inputs from PTI)