Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Telangana criticized the house arrests of its State President N Ramchandra Rao and other leaders on Tuesday. They labeled the action as undemocratic and politically driven. The arrests were linked to a puja at the Peddamma Temple in Banjara Hills, which officials recently demolished, leading to protests and calls for its rebuilding.
While under house arrest, Rao expressed his disbelief at the police’s actions. “Police came to my home, announcing my house arrest over the Peddamma Temple issue. Locals want it rebuilt, and some Hindu groups planned a puja there. It’s shocking to be arrested for events aligned with Hindu values, without BJP’s direct involvement,” he said. Rao noted that other BJP corporators in Hyderabad faced similar detentions and accused the Congress government of suppressing Hindu activities.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar condemned the situation, calling it state “anarchy.” He questioned, “Why is it wrong for Hindus to visit the Peddamma Temple? Arresting peaceful Hindus and BJP workers is absurd. The Congress government is manipulating Hindu sentiments for votes in the Jubilee Hills by-election,” he warned, suggesting that Telangana’s citizens would soon respond.
Senior BJP figures like Chinthala Ramachandra Reddy and NVVS Prabhakar also denounced the arrests. Prabhakar criticized the police’s blockade of BJP leaders’ homes, preventing their participation in the temple program and the Har Ghar Tiranga march, calling it an attack on democratic rights. He highlighted the detention of BJP Mahila Morcha President Shilpa Reddy, BJYM State President Sevell Mahender, and others as evidence of Congress’s “tyranny.”
Mahila Morcha State President Mekala Shilpa Reddy condemned the police’s actions, labeling them a “stain on democracy.” She noted that BJP Mahila Morcha aimed to support the Kumkumarchana program by Hindu groups at the temple and described the interference in peaceful religious activities as “foolish and undemocratic.”
BJP MP DK Aruna shared similar views, accusing the Congress government of an anti-democratic approach. “Stopping BJP leaders from attending the Peddamma Temple program and the Har Ghar Tiranga march reveals Congress’s authoritarianism,” she said. BJP State Secretary Kasam Venkateswarlu criticized the police, stating, “Hindus face lathicharge and house arrest for worship, yet those who demolished the temple are free. Is this Congress’s justice?” He warned of public backlash and predicted the Revanth Reddy-led government’s downfall.
Party spokesperson N V Subhash demanded the release of Rao and other detained leaders. He argued, “Preventing participation in Har Ghar Tiranga attacks democracy. The Congress government mirrors the previous BRS regime’s tactics of silencing opposition through illegal arrests.” Subhash stressed that the Har Ghar Tiranga program honors the national flag and freedom fighters, not a government protest.
Rani Rudrama, BJP State Spokesperson and Har Ghar Tiranga Yatra Committee Member, condemned the arrests, stating, “Democracy is being dismantled under Congress rule. Who gave this government the right to violate opposition leaders’ rights?”
The BJP vowed to continue protesting against what it calls the Congress government’s suppression of democratic and religious freedoms, asserting that Telangana’s people are watching and will respond decisively.
