A high-voltage political showdown unfolded outside the Telangana Assembly on Monday as several Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders, including working president K T Rama Rao (KTR) and former minister T Harish
Rao, were detained after police stopped them from entering the premises in black outfits carrying protest slogans.
The BRS leaders were protesting against the Congress government as it completed 1,000 days in office. The party alleged that the ruling government had failed to fulfil several of its electoral promises and planned to raise issues concerning farmers, Singareni workers, auto drivers, government employees and anganwadi workers during the Assembly session.
Police object to protest slogans
The situation escalated at the Assembly gates when police objected to the slogans printed on the black T-shirts worn by the BRS leaders. Harish Rao removed his T-shirt following the objection, but he was still detained along with KTR and several other party legislators.
Videos from the spot showed chaotic scenes as police personnel attempted to restrain the protesting legislators, leading to heated exchanges and physical scuffles at the Assembly entrance. BRS women legislators were also seen being involved in the confrontation, with the party alleging that police used excessive force while preventing them from entering the premises.
KTR and former minister G Jagadish Reddy reportedly suffered minor injuries during the scuffle. BRS leaders subsequently accused the Telangana police of manhandling their legislators and condemned the treatment of the women MLAs.
KTR invokes Rahul Gandhi's remark
In a sharp attack on the Congress, KTR invoked Rahul Gandhi's call to “smash patriarchy”, accusing the Telangana government and its police of doing the opposite by allegedly manhandling BRS women legislators during the protest.
“Rahul Gandhi calls for Smashing Patriarchy, but here in Congress-run Telangana, the Congress police are smashing and thrashing our women MLAs,” KTR said, questioning whether black clothing had effectively been banned in Telangana. He also pointed to the use of black as a form of protest in Parliament and asked why the same should not be permitted inside the Telangana Assembly.
Police defend action
Police, however, maintained that their objection was not to the colour black but to the slogans printed on the clothing. Officials said action was taken in accordance with the instructions of the Assembly Speaker.
The confrontation has since triggered a fresh political clash between the BRS and the ruling Congress, with the opposition party accusing the government of suppressing democratic protest. BRS leaders have also threatened further protests across the state over the alleged use of force against their legislators.
The dramatic scenes outside the Assembly, including the scuffles between police and BRS lawmakers, have added another flashpoint to the increasingly charged political atmosphere in Telangana.
