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BRS legislators, led by K. T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao, were detained after police stopped them from entering the Telangana Assembly while wearing black T-shirts protesting the alleged non-fulfilment of Congress election promises.
Hyderabad, September 7 (PMI) The Telangana Assembly session began on a tense note on Monday after several Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislators were prevented from entering the Assembly premises while wearing black T-shirts carrying protest slogans targeting the Congress government.
The BRS legislators had chosen black T-shirts as a mark of protest over what they described as the Congress government’s failure to fulfil its electoral commitments. The T-shirts reportedly carried the slogan, “Congress failed to deliver promises in 1,000 days.”
Tensions reportedly escalated at the Assembly entrance when BRS members attempted to enter the premises wearing the slogan-bearing T-shirts. Police personnel stopped them, stating that legislators could not enter the Assembly while wearing T-shirts displaying protest messages.
The incident led to heated exchanges and jostling between the legislators and police personnel. BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao, BRSLP Deputy Leader T. Harish Rao, former minister G. Jagadish Reddy and several other party legislators were subsequently detained and shifted to Telangana Bhavan, according to BRS leaders.
Allegations of manhandling
The BRS alleged that some of its legislators and staff members were subjected to rough treatment during the confrontation. The party claimed that Rama Rao and Jagadish Reddy sustained minor injuries during the incident.
BRS leaders also alleged that police personnel pushed away women legislators who were present near the Assembly entrance. According to the party, MLA V. Sunitha Laxma Reddy, who was with former minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy and MLA Kova Lakshmi, suffered minor injuries to her feet during the incident.
The BRS further alleged that staff members attached to its legislators were also manhandled and claimed that Rama Rao’s PRO, Mahesh, sustained minor injuries. These allegations were made by the BRS, and independent verification of the claims was not immediately available.
Rama Rao questions restriction on protest attire
Reacting to the incident, K. T. Rama Rao questioned the decision to prevent BRS legislators from entering the Assembly in black T-shirts.
He referred to instances in which opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, had worn black clothing during protests in Parliament and questioned why BRS legislators were being prevented from adopting a similar form of democratic protest in the Telangana Assembly.
After police personnel reportedly refused to permit them to enter in the slogan-bearing T-shirts, some BRS legislators removed the T-shirts and sought permission to enter the Assembly in normal attire. However, according to the BRS, several of them were detained and taken to Telangana Bhavan.
BRS legislators who were wearing regular clothes were reportedly permitted to enter the Assembly premises.
Sit-in protest by BRS legislators
Following the detention of their colleagues, BRS leaders Talasani Srinivas Yadav, P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, V. Sunitha Laxma Reddy, Kova Lakshmi and Madhavaram Krishna Rao staged a sit-in protest near the Assembly lobby entrance.
The protesting legislators alleged that their colleagues had been subjected to “high-handed” treatment and demanded that the opposition be allowed to raise public issues during the Assembly session.
BRS pays tribute at Gun Park
Before proceeding towards the Assembly, BRS legislators gathered at the Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial at Gun Park, where they paid tributes to those who lost their lives during the movement for a separate Telangana state.
Speaking at Gun Park, K. T. Rama Rao called for the Assembly session to be extended to one month, arguing that a longer session would provide adequate time for a detailed discussion on issues affecting different sections of society.
He specifically referred to concerns involving government employees, Anganwadi workers and surveyors, among other groups.
BRS targets Congress over electoral promises
Rama Rao also criticised the Congress government over its election promises. He alleged that the Congress had come to power after making 420 promises and accused the government of failing to implement them despite assurances that they would be fulfilled within 100 days.
The BRS leader said the Congress government had completed around 1,000 days in office, but, according to him, several of its electoral commitments remained unfulfilled.
The BRS has made the issue of unimplemented election promises a major political point of attack against the Congress government and is expected to raise the matter repeatedly during the Assembly session.
The opening-day confrontation between the BRS legislators and police added a political edge to the beginning of the session, with the Opposition seeking discussions on electoral commitments and various public issues, while the ruling side is expected to defend its record of governance and implementation of welfare and development programmes. (pressmediaofindia.com)
