BRS protest sparks tension at Assembly

Metro India News | Hyderabad

An unexpected and tense situation prevailed at the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Monday as police stopped BRS MLAs and MLCs from entering the Assembly premises wearing black T-shirts bearing protest slogans.When police objected to their entry, stating that permission had not been granted for the protest, former minister T. Harish Rao and several other BRS legislators removed their T-shirts and staged a sit-in at the spot wearing only their vests.

A heated argument broke out between the legislators and police, following which Harish Rao and several other BRS leaders were taken into custody As the protest intensified, police began detaining the protesting legislators. Harish Rao, after removing his T-shirt, attempted to proceed towards the Public Gardens but was stopped by police and forcibly put into an Innova vehicle.

MLAs Malla Reddy, Prashanth Reddy, Sanjay Rao and Kaushik Reddy were also lifted and carried by groups of policemen before being shifted into buses. High drama unfolded when BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao was taken into custody. As police attempted to put him into a vehicle, KTR resisted and held his foot against the road. Police eventually forced him into the vehicle.

All the protesting BRS legislators were detained and shifted from the Public Gardens to different police stations. The situation gradually returned to normal, even as the Assembly session commenced amid heightened tension. The protest also witnessed dramatic scenes at the Assembly entrance. BRS MLA Sunitha Lakshma Reddy broke down in tears before the media, alleging that police had behaved in an extremely inhuman manner towards her.

Meanwhile, former minister G. Jagadish Reddy, who was caught up in a scuffle with police during the protest, suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness, causing concern among those present. Khairatabad Zone DCP Shilpavalli later clarified the circumstances surrounding the incident at the Assembly gate. She said wearing black T-shirts was not a crime, but the BRS leaders were denied entry because some of the slogans and words printed on the T-shirts were considered objectionable. The DCP also denied allegations that police had behaved indecently towards the MLAs, saying security measures were taken in accordance with the directions of the Assembly Speaker.