[1]The booking of a criminal case against labour minister Danam Nagender for his involvement in an arg-ument with the police and staff of the Lakshmi Nar-asimha Swamy temple at Banjara Hills on Thursday has now led to a tiff betw-een him and home minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy.
Mr Nagender said that he expected her support as a colleague when he, “a responsible public representative”, was fighting on behalf of the people, and a case was booked against him, putting him in trouble. “Is it not her responsibility to act on this?”
Defending his actions on Thursday, when he locked up the main gate of the temple and allegedly abused the SI on duty, he said he had only interfered when they tried to raise permanent structures on the premises.
Banjara Hills police said that so far, two cases were booked regarding the incidents at the temple; one was against the minister, the other against his followers, for committing vandalism two days ago.
Ms Sabita Reddy said that she had asked police commissioner Anurag Sharma to submit a report and that she had given directions only regarding the law and order issue, not the land issue.
Two days ago, Hare Krishna movement officials had come to her, seeking security, she said, adding that Mr Nagender “is part of our family and like my brother.”
Mr Nagender, who met Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy late on Friday, claimed that the CM had given him moral support.
and expressed displeasure over the booking of the case against him. He also requested the CM to cancel the lease to the Hare Krishna movement.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao came out in support of Mr Nagender while the Telangana Advocates' Association visited Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum, seeking his ouster from the Cabinet.
The Bajrang Dal, VHP and other organisations were not supportive of Mr Nagender's behaviour at the temple.
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