'No one above law,' says KTR after TRS worker attacks forest ranger

Hyderabad: A police team and forest guards were allegedly attacked by Telangana Rashtra Samithi workers in Sirpur Kagaznagar block of Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, during a tree plantation drive.

The violence broke out when team of forest officials tried to plant saplings on the land which was allegedly encroached by TRS. In the attack, a woman forest officer Anita has been injured and admitted to a hospital for treatment.

The injured forest officer allegedly accused brother of local TRS MLA Koneru Konappa of attack. The accused, Krishna, himself is the chairperson of Zila Parishad.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Working president K T Rama Rao condemned the attack and said no one was above the law even as opposition Congress and BJP slammed the K Chandrasekhar Rao government.

In a tweet, Rama Rao said: I strongly condemn the atrocious behaviour of Koneru Krishna who attacked a forest officer who was doing her job. He has been arrested & a case booked already; no one is above law of the land.

Superintendent of Police Malla Reddy said Krishna Rao has been arrested and booked under various sections of the IPC.

We have registered cases against Krishna and arrested him. The presence of the leaders emboldened the villagers to attack, Malla Reddy told PTI.

Speaking to media, the accused Konaru Krishna said, "The forest department is terrorising adivasi farmers and confiscating their land forcefully. I was there to resolve the issue and to ensure justice for tribal as forest officials were destroying their crops in the name afforestation. I tried to pacify department authorities but in vain. The attack was accidental action, not intentional."

Krishna Sagar Rao, Chief Spokesperson of BJP in Telangana said, "BJP strongly condemns the heinous attack on women forest range officer in Asifabad district. Around 30 to 40 goons of the ruling TRS party attacked this lady officer and her team who were actually working parallelly for irrigation project forestation work. She has been badly injured and now she is in hospital and the agony she has expressed in a video message is painful and heart rendering."

"The Chief Minister of the state K Chandrasekhar Rao has not made any statement nor did the home minister of the state. They are in absentia. The MLA Koneru Konappa and his brother Krishna are not seen. The TRS goons are all over the place. BJP demands immediate action and explanation from the chief minister for this behaviour by an MLA and his brother. We extend our support to the lady officer. We will stand by her in the legal tussle ahead," he added.