HYDERABAD, September 7: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR), former Telangana minister T Harish Rao and several other party legislators were briefly detained outside the Telangana Assembly on Monday after a confrontation with security personnel during a black T-shirt protest against the Congress government.
The BRS leaders were protesting against what they described as the Congress government’s failure to fulfil its election promises after completing 1,000 days in office.
BRS Leaders Stopped at Assembly Entrance
KTR, Harish Rao and other BRS MLAs and MLCs arrived at the Telangana Assembly wearing black T-shirts carrying slogans critical of the Congress government.
Security personnel stopped the legislators from entering the Assembly premises, resulting in arguments and protests at the entrance.
Police subsequently detained KTR, Harish Rao and several other leaders and shifted them to local police stations.
The protest also caused traffic disruption outside the Assembly for around 30 to 40 minutes, according to reports.
Black T-Shirts Target Congress’ 1,000-Day Record
The BRS legislators wore black T-shirts displaying messages including:
- “Congress Failed to Deliver on Its Promises”
- “1,000 Days of Failed Governance”
- Messages targeting the implementation of Congress guarantees
The protest was organised as the BRS stepped up its campaign against the state government following the completion of 1,000 days of Congress rule in Telangana.
The Congress government completed the milestone on September 1, following which the opposition BRS launched a series of protests questioning its performance.
KTR Accuses Congress of Breaking Promises
Speaking during the protest, KTR accused the Congress of coming to power after making what he described as false and unrealistic promises to Telangana voters.
He alleged that Congress had made hundreds of commitments and assured voters that several promises would be implemented within the first 100 days of government, but claimed many remained unfulfilled even after 1,000 days.
KTR said BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) had directed party legislators to raise the issue of unfulfilled promises during the Assembly session.
The BRS has indicated that it intends to seek detailed discussions on issues affecting farmers, students, unemployed youth and other sections of the state.
Protest Began at Gunpark
Before reaching the Assembly, KTR, Harish Rao and other BRS leaders staged a demonstration at Gunpark in Hyderabad.
From there, the opposition leaders proceeded towards the Assembly while wearing black attire as a symbolic protest against the Congress administration.
The confrontation intensified after security officials refused to allow legislators wearing slogan-bearing T-shirts to enter.
Police later said the restriction was related to the slogans printed on the T-shirts and that officials were acting on instructions connected with Assembly proceedings.
Sabitha Indra Reddy Incident Triggers Fresh Row
The confrontation also generated controversy after video footage surfaced showing a security official apparently pulling former minister and BRS MLA Sabitha Indra Reddy by her hair while personnel attempted to remove her from the protest site.
The BRS strongly criticised the incident and accused authorities of mistreating a woman legislator.
Police said allegations concerning the conduct of security personnel would be examined using available video footage.
The BRS said it would also raise the matter with the Telangana Assembly Speaker.
Political Tensions Rise as Assembly Session Begins
The protest took place on the opening day of the Telangana Assembly’s monsoon session, setting the stage for a politically charged confrontation between the ruling Congress and the principal opposition BRS.
With the BRS focusing its campaign on alleged non-implementation of election guarantees, the performance of the Congress government and its promises to different sections of society are expected to remain major issues during the Assembly proceedings.
The detention of senior BRS leaders and the confrontation outside the Assembly have now further intensified the political battle between the two parties in Telangana.
source – The Indian Express / Times of India
Supreme News Network
