BRS candidates took to the streets across Telangana on Monday, staging dharnas, road blockades and effigy burnings of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in response to the arrest of party MLAs and MLCs at the Assembly gates in Hyderabad.
The unrest began after BRS legislators arrived at the Assembly wearing black T-shirts as a mark of protest against what the party described as the Congress government's failures during its 1,000-day rule. Police stopped them from entering, leading to a scuffle at the gates. The BRS alleged that senior leaders including KT Rama Rao, T Harish Rao and G Jagadish Reddy were manhandled during the confrontation, after which several MLAs and MLCs were detained.
Responding to a call from the party leadership, BRS leaders and supporters mobilised in Hyderabad, Medchal, Suryapet, Nalgonda, Siddipet, Karimnagar, Jogulamba Gadwal and other districts, condemning what they called the Congress government's high-handedness against opposition legislators.
In Siddipet, activists staged a dharna at Ponnala Dhaba on the Karimnagar-Hyderabad highway, protesting T Harish Rao's detention. Traffic on that stretch was disrupted for nearly half an hour, with vehicles queuing up for kilometres before police cleared the demonstrators.
A major road blockade was also reported at Anjanapuri crossroads on the national highway in Suryapet, where BRS leaders raised slogans against the Congress government and police, causing a kilometres-long traffic jam.
On the Medchal highway, BRS leaders again blocked traffic. Protesters accused the government of curbing the democratic rights of opposition leaders, and police detained several agitators.
In Hyderabad, BRS workers held protests at Karmanghat in LB Nagar, Secunderabad Cantonment, Quthbullapur, KPHB and several other localities, demanding protection of democratic rights and an end to what they called attempts to silence the Opposition.
In Choppadandi, protesters attempted to burn Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's effigy. Police intervened and detained former MLA Sunke Ravishankar along with other leaders. Similar attempts in Nakrekal were also stopped by police, with several protesters arrested.
In Nalgonda district, demonstrations were held at the district Collectorate and Miryalaguda bus stand, among other locations. Former MLA Nallamothu Bhaskar Rao was arrested after police moved to clear a road blockade.
Protests were also reported in Miryalaguda, Kodad, Nagaram, Nuthankal, Peddavoora, Karimnagar, Sircilla, Cherial and Jogulamba Gadwal. At several of these locations, attempts to burn effigies of the Chief Minister led to clashes with police, followed by further arrests.
BRS leaders said the arrests reflected the government's attempt to silence the Opposition and vowed to intensify the agitation in the days ahead.
