Harish Rao slams house arrests of BRS leaders, accuses Congress of tyranny

BRS senior leader T Harish Rao condemned the house arrests of party leaders ahead of the “Chalo Bus Bhavan” protest, accusing the Congress government of suppressing dissent. He alleged that the Revanth Reddy regime was burdening citizens and planning to privatise the RTC.

Hyderabad: Former Minister and BRS senior leader T Harish Rao on Thursday lashed out at the Congress government, condemning the house arrests of BRS leaders and MLAs ahead of the party’s “Chalo Bus Bhavan” protest against the recent RTC fare hike. Calling the move undemocratic and tyrannical, he said the Revanth Reddy regime had trampled upon constitutional freedoms.

Speaking to the media at his residence, Harish Rao said the Congress government was arresting elected representatives over a peaceful protest. “IS this democracy or dictatorship? The government’s actions are nothing short of emergency rule,” he said. He demanded the immediate release of detained leaders and activists, calling the crackdown a sign of political insecurity.

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Criticising the five rounds of fare hikes in just 20 months, Harish Rao stated that the Chief Minister first doubled the bus fares while claiming free rides for women, burdened students, and increased life taxes on vehicles under GO 53 and 54. “Revanth Reddy is bleeding the poor and middle class dry, while halting projects like the Metro Rail,” he said.

The former Minister stated that the Congress government was conspiring to privatise RTC in phased manner. He said the RTC workshops and depots at Uppal and Miyapur as well as several bus stands were mortgaged to raise Rs 1,500 crore through land deals. “The Congress wants to sell public sector undertakings in the name of reforms. This is a betrayal of workers and commuters alike,” he said.

He also accused the Chief Minister of hypocrisy, pointing out that while Rahul Gandhi spoke about safeguarding the Constitution, Revanth Reddy was destroying it. He said Telangana was witnessing constitutional destruction in the guise of democracy, where protests were crushed, media restricted, and dissent punished.

Declaring that the BRS will continue its public movement until bus fares are rolled back, Harish Rao said the party would stand by RTC workers and fight for the poor. “The government must stop burdening citizens with its commissions and corruption. Protest is not a crime, it’s a constitutional right,” he asserted.