Hyderabad: BRS Leaders Placed Under House Arrest to Prevent Protest
Several leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) were placed under house arrest on Friday. This move came after the party announced plans to protest the recent arrests of their members and pay tribute to Dr. BR Ambedkar at his 125-feet statue on NTR Marg. The occasion marked the death anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution.
Prominent BRS leaders, including T Harish Rao, MLA KP Vivekanand, MLC K Kavitha, and Shambhipur Raju, were restricted to their homes early in the morning. This followed a day of high drama involving the arrest and subsequent release of Harish Rao. The BRS had planned to honor Dr. Ambedkar and protest against the arrests, but police intervened, preventing their plans by enforcing house arrests.
In addition, several party leaders attempting to reach the Ambedkar statue were detained and taken to local police stations. Among them was BRSV leader Gellu Srinivas, who was arrested by Abids police on Friday morning.
Harish Rao expressed his outrage over the arrests through a post on social media platform X. He questioned the government’s actions, asking, “Why are these detentions taking place? Why are we being stopped from paying homage to Dr. BR Ambedkar on his death anniversary?” He accused the government of imposing an “undeclared emergency” in the state and demanded the immediate release of all detained BRS leaders and activists.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) also criticized the government, alleging negligence in decorating and preparing the venue around the Ambedkar statue. He accused the authorities of having an anti-Ambedkar ideology and ignoring the death anniversary of the great leader. KTR further stated that the party would raise issues such as the Lagacharla incident and farmer suicides in the upcoming Assembly sessions, demanding that the sessions last for at least one month.
The situation has intensified political tensions in the state, with BRS leaders accusing the government of suppressing their rights to protest and honor a national icon.
