It looks like Telangana Jagruthi president Kalvakuntla Kavitha is getting more political traction on the ground, compared to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led by her father and former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and brother K T Rama Rao.
After getting a clean chit from a Delhi court in the excise policy case, Kavitha has become more active and is getting a massive response from the people.
Compared to her, the BRS leaders, including K T Rama Rao and T Harish Rao are lagging behind in getting the support from the public.
Her detention during a hunger strike in Khammam on Tuesday over the demolition of houses in Velugumatla has drawn significant public attention and triggered wider political debate across the state.
Kavitha was taken into custody by the police in the early hours of Tuesday while staging an indefinite hunger strike at Ambedkar Bhavan in Khammam.
The protest was organised to demand justice for families affected by the demolition of nearly 600 houses in Velugumatla on the outskirts of the town on February 24, an incident that sparked widespread outrage.
Kavitha and several others were detained during the early hours and shifted to Hyderabad to prevent any law-and-order issues.
After being brought to the Telangana Jagruthi central office in Banjara Hills, Kavitha declared that she would continue her indefinite fast until the government assured construction of houses for the displaced families.
Leaders of Telangana Jagruthi alleged that the police used excessive force to disperse the protesters. They also claimed that women leaders, including Kavitha, were detained without the presence of women constables, which they said violated established procedures.
A scuffle reportedly broke out during the police action, leaving several protesters injured, while some others fainted in the commotion. Kavitha demanded immediate medical treatment for those injured.
Condemning the police action, Jagruthi leaders questioned how women leaders could be taken into custody without following due process.
Kavitha insisted that the protest would continue until the district administration assured that house-site pattas and Indiramma housing units would be allotted to the victims at the same location where their homes were demolished.
“The state government and the ruling Congress leaders will face the curse of the affected women for the injustice done to them,” she said.
Kavitha’s aggressive intervention and her decision to undertake a hunger strike have brought her back into the political spotlight, a a time when the BRS leadership has largely maintained a low profile.