Chaos unfolded outside the Telangana Assembly on Monday as the monsoon session began, with several Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders detained during a protest against the Congress government.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) and MLA T Harish Rao were among the leaders stopped from entering the Assembly complex. The party had organised a protest at Gun Park, accusing the Revanth Reddy-led government of failing to deliver on its promises.
BRS legislators also wore black clothes inside the Assembly as a mark of protest.
KTR accuses Congress of breaking promises
Addressing reporters, KTR accused the Congress government of making what he described as “reckless and false promises” before coming to power.
He claimed the Congress had made 420 promises, with an assurance that they would be implemented within 100 days, but alleged that the government had failed to fulfil them even after 1,000 days.
The allegations are part of the BRS’s broader criticism of the Congress government’s performance since it came to power.
BRS leaders were subsequently denied entry into the Assembly complex and detained by police.
BRS leaders detained outside Assembly
The detention led to heightened tensions between BRS workers and police outside the Assembly.
Visuals shared by news agency ANI showed a Swift Women Action Team (SWAT) personnel of Hyderabad City Police appearing to pull BRS MLA Sabitha Indra Reddy’s hair while she was being detained.
KTR and other BRS leaders were also seen in a confrontation with police personnel during the detention.
The protest caused traffic disruption outside the Assembly, with reports of congestion lasting around 30 to 40 minutes as party workers and police gathered in the area.
BJP demands judicial probe into Section 22A issue
While the BRS protested over the Congress government’s performance, BJP MLAs raised a separate issue concerning the inclusion of private lands in a prohibitive list under Section 22A of the Registration Act.
The provision restricts registration and certain transactions involving properties placed on the prohibited list.
BJP legislators demanded a discussion and a judicial probe into the alleged inclusion of private lands in the list.
They displayed placards during question hour and later approached the Speaker’s well as they pressed for action on the issue.
The competing protests added to the political tensions surrounding the opening of the Telangana Assembly’s monsoon session.