BJP leaders furious over NRR’s arrest; term it ‘undemocratic’
Hyderabad: The arrest of BJP Telangana State President N Ramachandra Rao, while he was to go to Kamareddy on Sunday, has evoked widespread condemnation from senior BJP leaders, who described the move as undemocratic and politically motivated.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy issued a strong press statement, calling the developments in Telangana “deeply worrying” and accusing the Congress government of “murdering democracy.” He alleged that baseless charges were levelled against Kamareddy MLA Katipalli Venkataramana Reddy, followed by his house arrest, which he termed a partisan act. He further condemned the vandalism of the MLA’s camp office gate by Congress leaders, calling it a clear failure of law and order.
“The house arrest of BJP State President N. Ramachandra Rao, along with several MPs and MLAs, is reminiscent of an undeclared emergency in Telangana. This is an open attack on democratic rights,” Kishan Reddy said, adding that the Congress government was resorting to “revenge politics” out of fear of BJP’s growing influence in the state.
BJP National Vice President and MP D.K. Aruna questioned whether it was a crime for a State President to travel in solidarity with his party’s MLAs. She accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of running a “repressive regime” and described the arrests as a “heinous act.”
MP Eatala Rajender echoed similar sentiments, condemning the arrests as undemocratic. He drew parallels with former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s earlier house arrests, warning that Revanth Reddy was following the same path. “The government, which is supposed to safeguard democracy, is instead encouraging attacks. This government should hang its head in shame,” he said.
Chevalla MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy criticised the Congress leadership, alleging that its cadre had embarrassed the country during the AI summit. He predicted that Congress would lose public trust in Telangana and Karnataka ahead of the upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson NV Subhash stated that Ramachandra Rao was peacefully heading to Banswada to express solidarity with the MLA when he was arrested and shifted to Bolaram police station. He described the arrest as a “direct assault on democracy” and warned that the BJP’s struggle would continue despite intimidation.
The BJP leaders collectively asserted that the Congress government’s actions reflect intolerance and misuse of power. They vowed to intensify their fight for democratic rights, declaring that the people of Telangana would deliver a fitting reply to attempts at suppressing opposition voices.
