New Delhi (India), April 24, 2023: YS Sharmila, leader of the YSR Telangana Party and sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, was detained in Hyderabad today after a physical altercation with police personnel during a protest.
The cause of the protest was related to the alleged leak of recruitment exam questions by the Telangana State Public Service Commission. Sharmila was stopped by police while on her way to the Special Investigation Team’s office, which is investigating the matter.
Several videos shared by the news agency ANI captured Sharmila manhandling police officers by slapping and pushing them. The police officers tried to intervene and take her into custody, leading to a heated argument. In another video, Sharmila was seen slapping a female police officer while resisting removal from the area.
Sharmila’s mother, YS Vijayamma, was also seen pushing police personnel while attempting to meet her detained daughter at Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills Police Station.
The alleged leak of exam questions has led to widespread protests in Telangana, with 11 people arrested and three exams canceled since the allegations came to light. The opposition parties have criticized the K. Chandrashekar Rao government over the incident.
Sharmila has been pushing for an independent political identity in Telangana and has been consistently raising the issue of paper leaks. Last month, she was also detained during a protest in Hyderabad.
Sharmila has emphasized that her party has no affiliation with her brother’s YSR Congress Party, which holds power in Andhra Pradesh.
