Telangana BJP Disavows POCSO Case Against Union Minister's Son

The Telangana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday disassociated itself from a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case registered against Bandi Bhagirath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar. State BJP president N. Ramchander Rao stated at a press conference in Hyderabad that the party had no role in the matter, describing it as a legal issue to be resolved through due process.

Rao asserted that Bandi Sanjay Kumar, as a Union Minister and party leader, was not personally implicated and that the case involved only a family member. "Our party has no connection with the case. It is a legal issue, and Mr. Sanjay Kumar has nothing to do with it," Rao said, adding that investigations would proceed as per law. He reiterated earlier claims by Kumar that the case was part of a conspiracy by vested interests.

Rao also defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls during the recent Assembly elections, stating it removed only duplicate, fake, or ineligible entries under Election Commission and Supreme Court supervision. He dismissed allegations of voter exclusion, insisting no genuine voter had been removed. The revision, last conducted in 2005, will be replicated in Telangana to eliminate bogus voters, he said.

Amid political tensions, Rao criticized the Congress-led state government for what he called misleading promises, contrasting them with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda. He expressed confidence in the BJP's growing presence in Telangana, citing past electoral gains in other states despite initial skepticism.

Rao maintained that the Assembly election results reflected the will of genuine voters and rejected claims of electoral manipulation. The party will continue its outreach ahead of upcoming local and national polls, focusing on youth employment and economic development, party officials said.