Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao on Tuesday accused the Congress-led Telangana government of using arrests and detentions against opposition leaders, escalating the political confrontation between the ruling party and the BRS.

KTR's remarks came a day after he, former minister T Harish Rao and several other BRS leaders were detained by police during a protest outside the Telangana Legislative Assembly in Hyderabad. The BRS leaders were demonstrating against what they described as the Congress government's failure to fulfil its election commitments during its 1,000 days in office.

KTR questions Congress government's performance

In a post on X, KTR questioned what he described as the Congress government's record during its tenure so far. He alleged that the administration had failed to implement the party's six guarantees and other electoral commitments, and said arrests and detentions had become its principal response to opposition protests.

KTR also claimed that the Congress had made hundreds of promises during the election campaign and had assured voters that they would be implemented within 100 days. The BRS has been using the government's 1,000-day mark to intensify its criticism of the ruling party. 

BRS leaders detained during Assembly protest

The latest confrontation followed a BRS protest on September 7. KTR, Harish Rao and other party legislators attempted to enter the Assembly premises wearing black T-shirts carrying slogans criticising the Congress government's performance.

Police stopped the legislators at the Assembly gates, following which tensions rose between BRS members and security personnel. KTR, Harish Rao and other leaders were subsequently detained and taken to police stations. 

The BRS has described the police action as an attempt to suppress opposition voices, while the circumstances surrounding the confrontation have become part of a wider political dispute between the two parties.

Fresh controversy over BRS MLC arrests

The political row continued on Tuesday with BRS MLCs T Madhusudan Rao, popularly known as Tata Madhu, and Naveen Reddy also facing police action in connection with the events surrounding the Assembly protest.

The BRS alleged that the two legislators were illegally arrested and accused the Revanth Reddy-led government of adopting an authoritarian approach. These allegations are part of the BRS's political response and have not been independently established as fact. 

KTR raises allegations involving women MLAs

KTR also criticised the alleged treatment of BRS women legislators during Monday's protest. He referred to former minister and BRS MLA Sabitha Indra Reddy and another woman legislator, alleging that they were manhandled during the confrontation.

The BRS has alleged that police personnel used force against its women legislators. Separately, reports have also carried allegations concerning the conduct of BRS legislators and police personnel during the protest, underlining the conflicting versions emerging from the incident. 

Telangana Assembly row adds to political tensions

The dispute also spilled into the Assembly after Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar became emotional while recounting an alleged incident involving remarks attributed to BRS MLC Tata Madhu.

Congress leaders condemned the alleged remarks and sought action, while Tata Madhu denied that his comments were directed at the Speaker and maintained that they were made in the context of the confrontation with police. 

The developments have further sharpened the confrontation between the Congress government and the BRS, with both sides accusing the other of undermining democratic and legislative norms.

High Court intervention

The confrontation has also drawn judicial attention. The Telangana High Court directed the state's Director General of Police not to prevent BRS MLAs from entering the Legislative Assembly, amid allegations concerning police conduct toward opposition legislators. 

For the BRS, the arrests and the Assembly confrontation have become a central political issue as it seeks to challenge the Congress government's record. The ruling party, meanwhile, has faced demands to respond to the allegations surrounding the protest and the conduct of its political opponents.

The continuing dispute is likely to keep the focus on both the Congress government's governance record and the functioning of the opposition inside Telangana's legislature.

BRS leaders staged a protest outside the Narayanguda Police Station in Hyderabad on Tuesday, demanding the release of party MLCs Tata Madhu and Naveen Kumar Reddy, who were arrested following Monday’s confrontation involving BRS legislators and police outside the Telangana Assembly. 

BRS steps up protest after MLC arrests

The demonstration came hours after police arrested the two BRS MLCs in connection with the developments at the Assembly. Tata Madhu was arrested around 7 am and taken to Narayanguda Police Station before being produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Nampally for judicial custody. 

BRS leaders have strongly objected to the arrests, accusing the Congress-led Telangana government of using police action against Opposition representatives. The party has maintained that its legislators were protesting over public issues and alleged that the arrests were politically motivated. 

Tata Madhu booked over alleged remarks

The immediate legal issue concerns alleged derogatory and abusive remarks against Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar during Monday’s confrontation.

Police registered Crime No. 364/2026 at Saifabad Police Station under Section 352 read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The complaint was filed by Pollepalli Venkatesham, Officer on Special Duty to the Speaker. 

According to the complaint, Tata Madhu and Naveen Kumar Reddy, along with others, were present in a security area of the Assembly when the alleged remarks were made in the presence of journalists, Assembly staff and security personnel. Police said the investigation is underway. 

Tata Madhu, however, has denied insulting the Speaker and said his comments were directed at police personnel during the confrontation. 

BRS calls arrests action against Opposition

The arrests have widened an already intense political confrontation between the BRS and the Congress government led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

BRS leaders have described the arrests as an attempt to restrict the Opposition from raising public concerns inside the legislature. BRS MLC Naveen Reddy, following his arrest, said the party would continue raising issues concerning people despite the action against its leaders.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao has also accused the state government of resorting to arrests and detentions instead of addressing what the party says are unfulfilled election commitments.

Dispute began with Assembly protest

The latest confrontation follows a BRS protest outside the Telangana Assembly on Monday. KTR, former minister T Harish Rao and other BRS legislators had gathered to protest against the Congress government's performance after 1,000 days in office.

The legislators were wearing black T-shirts carrying slogans criticising the government. Police said the issue was not the colour of the clothing but the slogans printed on the T-shirts, which they described as objectionable. The standoff subsequently escalated into a confrontation between BRS legislators and police. 

Several BRS leaders, including KTR and Harish Rao, were detained during the protest. Police have also registered separate cases against several BRS leaders over allegations of obstructing and assaulting police personnel during the confrontation. 

Political row intensifies in Telangana

The dispute also reached the Assembly, where Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar became emotional while the alleged remarks were discussed. Congress leaders condemned the alleged comments and sought action against Tata Madhu, while the BRS rejected the allegations. 

The Telangana High Court separately directed the state DGP not to prevent BRS MLAs from entering the Assembly to attend the ongoing session, adding another legal dimension to the confrontation between the ruling party and the Opposition. 

The protest outside Narayanguda Police Station marks a further escalation as the BRS presses for the release of its arrested MLCs, while police proceedings linked to Monday's Assembly confrontation continue.