BJP MLA sustains injuries during statue installation;

Telangana BJP MLA T Raja Singh Lodh Thursday accused the police of "attacking and injuring" him while he and his supporters wereinstalling a new statue of freedom fighter Rani Avanti Bai in place of the old one here, a charge denied by the police.

Police said at around 2 a.m on Thursday Raja Singh along with around 200 followers attempted to erect a 20-feet statue at Jummerat Bazar area, seeking to replace an old one, half its size, without permission and in violation of law.

Raja Singh said police "attacked" them at the time after resorting to lathi-charge and he sustained "serious" head injuries, and had to be hospitalised.

Police denied the allegation, saying the injuries were self-inflicted, and booked a case of rioting against Singh and others under relevant IPC sections.

Singh, who represents Goshamahal constituency in the city and is the lone BJP MLA in Telangana, posed a question: "Why the police was "targetting him regularly?"
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West Zone) A R Srinivas dismissed Raja Singh's accusations and termed his claims that police attacked him as "totally false."