Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC Thatha Madhusudan Rao, popularly known as Tata Madhu, was arrested by Saifabad Police on Tuesday in connection with a case over alleged derogatory and abusive remarks against Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar.
Police officials said Tata Madhu was arrested around 7 am from his residence at the New MLA Quarters in Hyderabad. He was subsequently taken to Narayanguda Police Station and is being produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court at Nampally for judicial custody proceedings.
Case registered after Assembly incident
The case was registered at Saifabad Police Station following a complaint by Pollepalli Venkatesham, Officer on Special Duty to the Telangana Assembly Speaker.
According to the complaint, the alleged remarks were made on Monday, September 7, when the Assembly was in session and security arrangements were in place. Police said Tata Madhu and BRS MLC N Naveen Kumar Reddy, along with other party members, were present in the security area of the Assembly and allegedly made remarks against the Speaker in the presence of journalists, media personnel, Assembly staff and security personnel.
Police registered Crime No. 364/2026 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The investigation is being conducted by Saifabad Police.
Tata Madhu denies insulting Speaker
Tata Madhu has denied that his remarks were directed at Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar. According to reports, the BRS MLC maintained that his comments were directed towards police personnel during the confrontation surrounding the BRS protest.
The BRS has also rejected the allegations against its leaders and accused the Congress-led Telangana government of targeting opposition representatives.
Naveen Kumar Reddy also taken into custody
The controversy also led to police action against another BRS MLC, Naveen Kumar Reddy. Police took him into custody from his residence in Kokapet on Tuesday morning in connection with the same case.
The arrests came amid heightened tensions between the BRS and the ruling Congress following a protest by BRS legislators outside the Assembly on September 7.
BRS protest triggers confrontation
The dispute began when BRS leaders arrived at the Telangana Assembly wearing black T-shirts carrying slogans criticising the Congress government's record and its implementation of electoral guarantees.
Police stopped the legislators from entering the Assembly premises, leading to a confrontation between BRS members and security personnel. Several senior BRS leaders, including party working president KT Rama Rao and former minister T Harish Rao, were detained during the episode.
The BRS subsequently accused the government of using police action to suppress opposition voices, while the ruling side maintained that action was being taken in connection with the alleged conduct of BRS leaders.
Speaker's remarks intensify political row
The issue gained further attention inside the Assembly after Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar became emotional while recounting the alleged remarks and circumstances surrounding the incident.
Congress leaders condemned the alleged comments and demanded action against Tata Madhu. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also called for action against the BRS MLC, describing the alleged remarks as an issue concerning the dignity of the Speaker's office.
The BRS, however, has maintained that the allegations against Tata Madhu are politically motivated and that the government is attempting to target its leaders amid the ongoing confrontation over the Congress government's performance.
Political tensions continue in Telangana
The arrest of Tata Madhu and the detention of Naveen Kumar Reddy have added another flashpoint to the increasingly heated Congress-BRS confrontation in Telangana.
With police investigating the allegations and the BRS continuing to question the arrests, the dispute is expected to remain a major issue during the ongoing Assembly session.
The case also places the focus on the balance between legislative conduct, political protest and police action as both parties continue to put forward competing accounts of the September 7 incident.
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