The Telangana Assembly session opened on a stormy note on Monday as BRS legislators wearing black T-shirts with the slogan "Congress failed to deliver promises in 1000 Days" were stopped from entering the Assembly premises, triggering a tense confrontation at the gates.
Police told the BRS members they could not enter the premises wearing T-shirts with slogans. The standoff led to heated arguments and jostling, during which BRS working president KT Rama Rao, former Minister G Jagadish Reddy and others sustained minor injuries.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao and BRSLP deputy leader T Harish Rao were among the legislators arrested and shifted to Telangana Bhavan. After police refused entry, some legislators, including Harish Rao, removed their T-shirts and again demanded access to raise public issues. Police arrested them regardless.
BRS women legislators also bore the brunt of the standoff. MLA V Sunitha Laxma Reddy, who was present alongside P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Kova Lakshmi, sustained minor injuries after police allegedly trampled on her feet. The party also alleged that police manhandled the personal staff of its legislators and attacked Rama Rao's PRO Mahesh, causing him minor injuries.
BRS members who were wearing regular clothes were allowed inside the Assembly. However, BRSLP deputy leaders Talasani Srinivas Yadav, P Sabitha Indra Reddy, MLAs V Sunitha Laxma Reddy, Kova Lakshmi and Madhavaram Krishna Rao staged a sit-in protest at the Assembly lobbies entrance, accusing police of high-handedness against their fellow BRS MLAs.
Earlier in the day, BRS legislators paid tributes at the Telangana Martyrs' Memorial at Gun Park before proceeding to the Assembly. Speaking there, Rama Rao demanded that the Assembly session be extended to a full month to allow detailed discussion on issues affecting government employees, Anganwadi workers and surveyors.
Rama Rao accused the ruling Congress of coming to power with 420 promises and failing to fulfil them even after 1,000 days, despite having pledged implementation within 100 days. He said the BRS, acting on directions from party president and Opposition leader K Chandrashekhar Rao, would question the government on electoral promises, GO 97 affecting polytechnic students, Rs 18,000 crore in pending fee reimbursement, farmers' issues, Singareni workers' concerns and problems faced by auto drivers.
He also said the party would raise the issue of lands placed on the 22A prohibited list and alleged irregular land allocations to relatives of the Chief Minister and Ministers.
Rama Rao questioned the Congress government's approach, asking how Congress leader Rahul Gandhi could wear black shirts as a democratic protest in Parliament while BRS legislators were prevented from doing the same in Telangana.
The BRS also moved an adjournment motion in the Assembly seeking a discussion on the Congress government's 1,000-day rule and its alleged failure to implement electoral promises.
