Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], November 7 (ANI): Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday slammed Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and accused him and the Congress candidate of 'wearing a skull cap for votes', a charge coming ahead of the November 11 Jubilee Hills Bypolls, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 14.

Bandi Sanjay Kumar said, 'If a day comes when I must wear a skull cap for votes, I'd rather cut off my head. I'm an unapologetic Hindu - I won't insult other faiths by faking a namaz. Even Muslim leaders like Azharuddin and AIMIM didn't wear it. But CM Revanth Reddy and the Congress candidate did - just for votes. Does CM have the courage to ask Azharuddin to chant Vakratunda Mahakaya? Or take Owaisi to Bhagyalakshmi temple and make him sing a song for Ammavaru to win Hindu votes?'

CM Revanth Reddy was seen wearing a skull cap while addressing a corner meeting at Paramount colony during the campaign in Jubilee Hills assembly constituency earlier in the week.

According to a release issued earlier, CM Reddy questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not giving permission to arrest former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao in the Kaleshwaram scam and BRS working President KT Rama Rao in the formula e-race scam.

'The Modi government was harassing political rivals by conducting IT, CBI and ED raids, and the same union government did not permit it to take action against the BRS leaders who were involved in the scams,' the Chief Minister said.

This by-election was prompted by the death of the sitting MLA and BRS leader, Maganti Gopinath.

The Congress party has nominated V Naveen Yadav, a leader from the Backward Class (BC), as its candidate. Meanwhile, the BRS has chosen Gopinath's widow, Sunitha, to run for the position. The BJP has selected Lankala Deepak Reddy as its candidate. (ANI)