Ex-BRS MLA Remanded to 14 Days Judicial Custody
Hyderabad: Former BRS MLA Balka Suman has been placed under judicial custody for 14 days following her arrest in connection with allegations of ‘militant activity’.
The police produced him before the magistrate at his home here on Saturday midnight and after discussions between the prosecution and the defense lawyer, the magistrate sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.
Suman was arrested by police in the evening over allegations that the party had called on union activists at state-run miner Singareni Collieries to engage in “militant activities”, including burning down offices and cutting railway tracks, to regain workers’ trust.
Earlier in the day, police picked him up from the BRS headquarters here after chanting slogans by party workers.
A case was registered against Suman at Nampally police station here following a complaint filed by a Singareni official over his comments earlier this week.
When the police reached the BRS office as part of the investigation, party workers shouted slogans against the Congress government and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
Speaking to reporters before the police took her away, Suman alleged that the Congress government was harassing her with cases for raising her voice against its “anti-people policies”.
However, as a law-abiding citizen, he said he would cooperate with the police.
Addressing the party meeting earlier this week, Suman said the response of farmers and laborers was inadequate to the protest programs called by BRS.
“If TBGKS (Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham- Telangana coal workers’ union) is to regain its former glory in the coal belt region, you have to engage in militant activities. Meetings and speeches will not be enough. If you organize a program in Mandamarri district, we will burn down the (Singareni Collieries) GM’s office. If necessary, we will be in jail for a month,” Suman said.
He said workers would “own” the union if they see it fighting for their interests, including police cases and lathi charges.
The comments triggered a political controversy with Union Minister Kishan Reddy condemning it, while ruling Congress leaders filed complaints with the state DGP and police stations, demanding action against him.
Suman then tried to explain that the call for “militant action” was to force the government to take action as the government was “involved in scams” and had not implemented any welfare program at state-run miner Singari Colliery.
