Effigies burnt, rallies held as BRS protests against SIT questioning of KCR
Political tensions flared across Telangana as BRS cadres staged widespread protests against the SIT questioning of party chief and former CM K Chandrashekhar Rao. Demonstrations in Hyderabad and other districts saw clashes with police, effigy burnings, road blockades, and mock funeral processions.
Published Date - 1 February 2026, 06:55 PM
Hyderabad: Political tempers ran high across Telangana on Sunday with BRS cadre staging protests across the State against the Special Investigation Team (SIT) questioning party president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
The BRS cadre clashed with the police after the latter used force to arrest protesters at multiple locations in Hyderabad and in other parts of the State too.
Tensions rose near the Telangana Secretariat when activists attempted to burn an effigy of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. Police intervened and extinguished the flames. On the other hand, the members of the BRS student wing (BRSV) staged a dharna after laying siege to the Ministers’ Quarters. BRSV State president Gellu Srinivas Yadav, vice-president Thunga Balu and others were detained and shifted to the Banjara Hills police station.
Security was tightened at Telangana Bhavan, where police restricted movement and deployed a large force to prevent escalation. Party cadres protested the curbs and staged a sit-in at the entrance gate, raising slogans against the Congress government and alleging police high-handedness.
They tried to leave for Nandi Nagar, but the police obstructed them, leading to a stampede-like situation where several BRS activists were injured.
Similar scenes unfolded across the State. BRS activists organised road blockades, staged mock funeral processions and burnt effigies of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in district and mandal headquarters as well as villages, terming the SIT action a classic example of political harassment.
In some places, demonstrators held mock funeral processions and symbolic protests with black ribbons and scarves besides taking out vehicle rallies. Police made preventive arrests in a few locations and stepped up security along major routes and sensitive points.
Large gatherings were also reported at the BRS chief’s Erravelli residence, where supporters assembled to express solidarity. Several former MLAs and district-level leaders led bike rallies and highway blockades following a Statewide protest call by BRS working president KT Rama Rao.