Massive police operation averts clash at Erravelli amid Cong-BRS faceoff | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: A massive security operation involving more than 800 police personnel and six IPS officers was mounted around former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s farmhouse at Erravelli on Tuesday, helping avert clashes as Congress and BRS supporters attempted to converge on the area amid rising political tensions.The elaborate bandobast, led by senior police officers under the supervision of a director general-rank officer, ensured that no major law and order incident was reported and no FIRs were registered despite heightened political activity. However, police remained on alert on Wednesday as the row continued to escalate.With Congress supporters announcing plans to march to KCR’s farmhouse to protest the alleged objectionable remarks made by two BRS MLCs against assembly speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, senior police officials rushed Hyderabad joint commissioner of police (traffic) Joel Davis, who had earlier served as Siddipet police commissioner, to Erravelli late on Monday night.Acting on intelligence inputs, Davis, along with Siddipet police commissioner Rashmi Perumal, reviewed the security situation around the farmhouse and neighbouring villages. Police identified interception points and cut-off locations in Siddipet and adjoining districts to prevent rival groups from reaching the protest site. Leaders and potential troublemakers likely to trigger unrest were also identified for preventive detention.By Tuesday morning, director general (law and order) Mahesh Bhagwat, inspector general S Chandrasekhar Reddy, Cyberabad joint CP (traffic) Sunpreet Singh and LB Nagar deputy CP Anuradha had also reached Erravalli and camped at Markook police station to oversee security arrangements.“All outside traffic was cut off about 500 metres away from the farmhouse on all sides. Local interception points were set up at Shivar Venkatapur, Erravalli, Varadarajpur and Markook. In addition to that, in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Malkajgiri, Medak, Karimnagar districts also, supporters of both parties were stopped from entering Siddipet. Our priority is to ensure no outsider managed to enter the farmhouse and we were successful,” said a senior police officer.Despite the extensive security arrangements, supporters of both parties attempted to reach the area through fields and internal village roads. Some were allegedly carrying footwear in buckets to hurl at members of rival groups.Police said around 450 protesters from both Congress and BRS were taken into preventive custody during the day. “Leaders like Koppula Eashwar, G Sunitha, V Pratap Reddy and Narsa Reddy were among them. They were shifted to various local police stations and let off in the evening. We have not received any complaints and so far, no FIRs have been registered in relation to the protests on Tuesday in Erravelli and surrounding areas,” Gajwel rural circle inspector D Ravi Raju said.Plice maintained heightened vigilance on Wednesday after Congress leaders alleged that BRS supporters had washed roads in Erravelli and Varadarajpur villages where Congress activists had staged protests a day earlier. Markook and Gajwel police said they have not received any complaint regarding the allegations.