Congress-BRS standoff intensifies in Telangana amid protests, detentions

Politics in Telangana have heated up, with fierce protests and counter-protests between the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS.

On the first day of the Assembly’s monsoon session on Monday, a scuffle broke out at the Assembly gates after police allegedly denied entry to BRS legislators, citing their decision to wear black. During the altercation, BRS MLC Tata Madhu allegedly made derogatory remarks referring to Speaker G Prasad Kumar.

The Congress government took serious note of Madhu’s remarks and made the issue a political flashpoint. The Assembly discussed the conduct of the MLC. During the debate, several Congress MLAs, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and ministers, urged the Speaker to pass a resolution seeking the disqualification of Tata Madhu as an MLC and forward it to the Chairman of the Legislative Council for further action.

On the other hand, some Congress MLAs threatened to lay siege to the farmhouse of former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Erravelli in Markuk Mandal of Siddipet district.

The developments further escalated political tensions between Congress and BRS cadres. On Tuesday, Congress MLA Veerlapally Shankar made controversial remarks against former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, saying that he wished for KCR’s death. The remarks triggered a political controversy. At the same time, Congress leaders and activists attempted to lay siege to KCR’s farmhouse.

In response, BRS MLAs and other leaders, led by BRS Working President K T Rama Rao and former minister T Harish Rao, rushed to Erravelli from the Assembly. However, police stopped them at Hakimpet and detained them. They were subsequently shifted to various police stations across Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, BRS activists staged protests across the state condemning the remarks made by the Congress MLA. They burnt effigies of the Congress party and Veerlapally Shankar.