Harish Rao, BRS leaders arrested for protesting against arrests of former Sarpanches

Harish Rao condemned the arrests of sarpanches, and demanded that the Chief Minister and the Panchayat Raj Minister hold discussions with them to clear pending bills spent for village development

Hyderabad: Former Minister and senior BRS leader T Harish Rao launched a blistering attack on the Congress government over the arrest and mistreatment of former Sarpanches who were staging peaceful protests, across Telangana. He condemned the arrests of sarpanches, and demanded that the Chief Minister and the Panchayat Raj Minister hold discussions with them to clear pending bills spent for village development.

Learning about the arrests of former sarpanches who were planning to stage protests and submit a representation to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Harish Rao rushed to the Bolaram police station along with Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council S Madhusudanachari, MLAs Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, Kalvakuntla Sanjay and other BRS leaders. Attempting to stop a van in which the detained former sarpanches were being shifted, they tried to stage a sit-in protest.

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After the arrested former sarpanches were shifted to the Trimulgherry police station, the BRS cadre led by Harish Rao held another demonstration, demanding for immediate release of the detained former sarpanches. As the BRS cadre numbers swelled at the police station, the police arrested the protesting BRS leaders. With the police locking the police station gates to prevent the media from entering the premises, Harish Rao addressed them standing on the other side of the compound wall.

Harish Rao criticised the Congress government for its partisan treatment of former sarpanches, who were burdened with debts incurred for village development projects.

“These former sarpanches have taken loans, sold family gold, and sacrificed their own finances, yet they remain unpaid,” he stated, adding that the Centre released Rs 1,200 crore under MGNREGS, Rs 300 crore from the 15th Finance Commission and Rs.500 crore under NHRM towards gram panchayats, but were diverted by the Revanth Reddy government.

Reminding the significant role of sarpanches in Telangana’s rural development, the Siddipet MLA noted that their efforts under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s leadership that transformed Telangana’s villages, earning numerous awards and improving the State’s reputation in village welfare. “Why punish those who made Telangana’s villages a role model of development?” he asked, questioning why the State has funds for expensive projects like the Musi River rejuvenation but cannot clear dues of sarpanches.

Rao lamented the financial burden former sarpanches are facing, with some of them selling properties and even attempting suicide due to outstanding payments. “Arresting them is not the solution. These former sarpanches, mostly from SC, ST, and BC communities, are being driven to desperation by a government that refuses to listen,” he said. He demanded that the Congress government immediately release the detained former sarpanches and prioritise their pending bills, failing which the situation could only get worse.