Telangana MLC's gunman opens fire after Jagruthi men attacks his office

Hyderabad, July 13 (IANS) Telangana MLC Teenmaar Mallanna's gunman opened fire in the air to disperse Telangana Jagruthi workers who attacked his office here on Sunday in protest against his alleged derogatory remarks against their leader and BRS MLC K. Kavitha.

The protestors stormed and vandalised the office of the MLC at Medipally. They damaged office furniture and broke windowpanes.

Raising slogans against the MLC, the protestors allegedly assaulted the staff and tried to barge into the MLC's chamber. With the situation taking a serious turn, the MLC's gunman opened five rounds into the air.

Mallanna was present in the office at the time of the attack, and a gunman opened fire to save him. The MLC reportedly suffered injuries to his hand in the scuffle.

Television visuals show blood stains in the office. It was not clear how many people were injured. Police rushed to the spot and launched an investigation.

Telangana Jagruthi is the cultural arm of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and it is headed by MLC Kavitha, daughter of BRS president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).

Kavitha's supporters were angry over certain remarks made by Teenmaar Mallanna at a meeting. The MLC had made the comments while ridiculing Kavitha for celebrations over the Telangana government's decision to issue an ordinance to enhance reservation for backward classes to 42 per cent in local bodies.

Teenmaar Mallanna made the remarks while asking how Kavitha is connected with the backward classes.

Telangana Congress on March 1 suspended MLC Teenmaar Mallanna, whose real name is Chintapandu Naveen, for anti-party activities.

The MLC was served show cause notice by the party after he tore the government's BC caste survey report and used highly objectionable words against the report and the Congress government.

Mallanna, who runs a YouTube channel QNews, was elected as MLC in the by-election from Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam graduate MLC constituency in June 2024 as the Congress party candidate. He has been a bitter critic of former Chief Minister KCR and his family members.

The MLC is known for his controversial comments and usage of aggressive language while targeting political opponents. Several cases were registered against him when the BRS was in power.

He had shot into prominence in 2021 when he contested the election for the Legislative Council seat from Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam graduates' constituency, as an independent candidate. He had given a tough fight to the BRS party candidate Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and finished runner-up.

He had joined the BJP in December 2021 shortly after he was released from jail. He was booked in a total of 38 cases. Some of the cases filed against him were for making derogatory comments against KCR, his son KTR and daughter Kavitha.

After the Congress party came to power in 2023, he joined the party and was elected MLC.

--IANS

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