Hyderabad: The Telangana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has strongly condemned the actions of the Punjagutta Police following the arrest of two senior party leaders during the Jubilee Hills by-election.

In a statement released on Wednesday, N Gautam Rao, State General Secretary of the BJP, criticised the police for detaining Papa Rao and Ananth Krishna, confiscating their mobile phones, and subjecting them to mental harassment.

Rao described the arrests as "unjust" and "a violation of democratic principles and judicial norms". He alleged that while the police deliberately ignored blatant violations of the election code of conduct by ruling Congress leaders—such as distributing money on the streets and attempting to lure voters—they chose instead to target opposition leaders. "It is a crime to misuse power by arresting only BJP leaders while turning a blind eye to the misconduct of Congress MLAs," the statement asserted.

The BJP demanded the immediate release of the detained leaders and accused the police of acting under pressure from the ruling party. Rao declared that such "inhumane behaviour" amounted to a direct attack on democracy itself. He warned that the BJP would intensify its protests if swift corrective measures were not implemented. Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, Rao stressed that the police must uphold impartiality during elections and protect democratic values rather than undermine them. He reiterated that the party would not tolerate the selective targeting of its leaders and called upon authorities to ensure the fair conduct of the Jubilee Hills by-election.

Rao warned the police to rectify their actions immediately, failing which the BJP would escalate its agitation to safeguard democratic rights.