BRS women MLAs approach NHRC, NCW over alleged police assault at Telangana Assembly

BRS women MLAs on Friday approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Commission for Women (NCW), alleging that Telangana police assaulted and humiliated them while they were trying to enter the state Assembly.

A delegation of BRS MLAs, MLCs, MPs and senior leaders separately met NHRC Member Vijaya Bharathi and NCW Chairperson Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar in New Delhi and submitted representations seeking their intervention.

Former ministers and BRS MLAs P Sabitha Indra Reddy and V Sunitha Lakshma Reddy apprised the commissions of the alleged police action at the Assembly entrance.

The BRS leaders alleged that they were manhandled despite being elected women legislators and questioned the authority of police personnel to prevent elected representatives from entering the Assembly premises.

Sabitha Indra Reddy alleged that police personnel physically restrained her, pulled her by the hair and pressed her throat. Sunitha Lakshma Reddy alleged that her saree was pulled during the incident, causing her severe humiliation.

The BRS leaders also alleged that they had lodged a complaint with the Telangana Police but no action had been taken so far.

They claimed that more than 100 hours had passed since the incident and that no FIR had been registered against those allegedly responsible for assaulting the women MLAs. Instead, cases had been registered against BRS legislators, they alleged.

The delegation accused the Telangana government of remaining silent over what it described as police excesses and demanded accountability for the alleged conduct of the personnel involved.

The BRS leaders urged the NHRC and NCW to order a comprehensive and impartial inquiry into the incident. They also sought preservation of CCTV footage from the Assembly premises, identification of those responsible and appropriate action against them.

The delegation further sought protection of the dignity and rights of women legislators.

Former ministers G Jagadish Reddy and Satyavathi Rathod, MLC Surabhi Vani Devi, MLAs Kova Lakshmi and Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra and BRS leaders Soma Bharat Kumar and others were part of the delegation.