BRS condemns arrest of ex-Sarpanches seeking clearance of pending bills

BRS condemns arrests of former sarpanches in Telangana, criticizes government for undemocratic attitude towards protesters.

HYDERABAD

The Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has condemned the arrests of former sarpanches across Telangana following their decision to hold ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ protest andpresent a memorandum to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on their problems.

Working president of the party K.T. Rama Rao, senior leader T. Harish Rao, leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council S. Madhusudana Chary, former minister V. Prashanth Reddy, MLA Dr. K. Sanjay and several other BRS leaders criticised the government on Monday (November 4, 2024) for resorting to ‘illegal’ arrest of former sarpanches and said the attitude was undemocratic.

They sought to know why the government was arresting the former sarpanches who worked for development of villages by borrowing money from lenders, by selling or mortgaging properties and gold jewellery belonging to their family members. They asked whether ‘praja palana’ meant arresting those who were protesting seeking clearance of bills pertaining to works executed by them.

The BRS leaders alleged that the police had shifted the former sarpanches - who were arrested by the police on reaching Hyderabad - from Bollaram police station to different places after learning that a team BRS leaders and activists led by Mr. Harish Rao was reaching there.

Later, the BRS leaders reached Tirumalagiri police station where some of the arrested former sarpanches were lodged and staged a protest demanding their release and opportunity to meet the Chief Ministerto represent their woes. Speaking at Tirumalagiri police station, Mr. Harish Rao sought to know why the government was denying clearance of pending bills of the former sarpanches when it had ample money to clear the bills of major contractors.

Where was the need to arrest the former sarpanches around midnight as if they were terrorists, forgetting the fact that it was their hard work along with those by employees that had transformed villages in Telangana and helped them bag several awards. During the last 10 months, they had come to Hyderabad four times to represent their problems but there had been no response from the government.