Assembly protest ends in arrests as BJP targets Government over guarantees

Assembly protest ends in arrests as BJP targets Government over guarantees

Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao was arrested on Monday after he and other party leaders made an unsuccessful attempt to lay siege to the Legislative Assembly, protesting what they described as the Congress government’s “failures, broken promises, and betrayal of people”.

Mr. Rao and others were stopped when they tried to enter the Assembly premises by breaking through police barricades. Amid slogan shouting, pushing and shoving, several leaders were detained and shifted to Punjagutta and other police stations.

“This is no longer governance for the people; it is governance that cheats the people,” remarked Mr. Rao.

Later, speaking to the media, the BJP State president said the Congress had come to power by making tall promises and speaking of guarantees, welfare, and what it termed ‘people’s governance’ or ‘Praja Palana’. However, over the past two years, people had experienced only “deception and betrayal”, he alleged. Promises made to farmers, women, youth, employees, pensioners, and other sections of society had largely remained unfulfilled, he said.

Police shifting the arrested BJP cadre to police stations in Hyderabad on Monday. | Photo Credit: G RAMAKRISHNA

Condemning his arrest and that of other party leaders, Mr. Rao said it was yet another example of the Congress government’s “anti-democratic” attitude. Instead of responding to public anger over its failures, the government had chosen to “misuse State machinery” against those raising their voice on behalf of the people, he charged.