BRS condemns arrests of former Sarpanches, demands immediate release

The party charged the Congress government with attempts to stifle democratic rights to protest and derailing the rural development after coming to power.

Hyderabad: The BRS on Monday strongly condemned the arrests of former Sarpanches across Telangana, as the latter geared up to stage protests in Hyderabad and submit their representation to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for clearance of pending bills. The party demanded that the State government immediately release the detained former Sarpanches and clear the outstanding bills.

The party charged the Congress government with attempts to stifle democratic rights to protest and derailing the rural development after coming to power.

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In a statement, BRS working president KT Rama Rao criticised the arrests of ex-Sarpanches who called for a peaceful protest and demanding for clearance of long-pending development funds. He pointed out the Congress government’s neglect of Palle Pragathi programme initiated by the previous BRS government, aimed to improve rural infrastructure and welfare.

“This government is arresting former Sarpanches instead of addressing their concerns. The State’s rural development has been sidelined, and former village heads are left to struggle, their pleas ignored,” he remarked. He condemned the none-release of funds for village development, leaving unpaid bills pending for over a year.

Senior BRS MLA T Harish Rao echoed these concerns, calling the arrests of the ex-Sarpanches undemocratic. “These leaders wanted to come to Hyderabad to voice their grievances after exhausting all options. Arresting them instead of clearing bills is a grave injustice. Is this how the Congress defines its people’s governance?” he asked.

Harish Rao highlighted the financial struggles endured by the former village heads, many of whom have borrowed money or sold property to fund development projects during their tenure. “Why does the Congress government prioritise payments to big contractors while leaving rural leaders who worked tirelessly unpaid?” he questioned.