"Blot On Democracy": KTR On Warpath, Targets Congress Over MLA Suspension

There was chaos in the Telangana Assembly, and in Hyderabad's Tankbund area, on Thursday afternoon after Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLA Jagadish Reddy was suspended - for allegedly accusing Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar of bias - for the rest of this session.

Senior BRS leader KT Rama Rao slammed the decision to suspend Mr Reddy, calling it a "blot on democracy". Furious party lawmakers then walked to protest in front of a 125-foot statue of Dr BR Ambedkar in the city - till the police arrived and detained them.

Visuals shared online by news agency ANI showed the BRS leaders sitting quietly in front of the statue.

In a second video, the police can be seen forming a human wall to hold back a mob of noisy (presumably) BRS supporters as they lead the MLAs into a waiting bus.

Speaking to ANI, KT Rama Rao said, "... it is truly a black day for democracy in India." He also called out Rahul Gandhi - whose Congress is in power - for a second time this week.

#WATCH | KT Rama Rao says, "It's a blot on democracy and it's truly a black day for democracy in India. Rahul Gandhi preaches Constitution day in and day out. Unfortunately, today he has forgotten to teach his Congress Govt and ministers the same values. In a unilateral move,… https://t.co/A5J81NqmOE pic.twitter.com/3VVfuHPHKS

— ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2025

"Rahul Gandhi preaches the Constitution day in and day out. Unfortunately, today he has forgotten to teach his Congress government and ministers the same values. In a unilateral move, even though senior leader Jagdishwar Reddy did not utter a single derogatory word, they suspended him..."

KT Rama Rao, or KTR, had also slammed Mr Gandhi over the arrest of two women journalists this week, for allegedly posting and amplifying derogatory comments about Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

READ | 2 Women Journalists Arrested For Revanth Reddy Post, BRS Protests

"It feels like a state of Emergency' has returned in Telangana..." Mr Rao, who accused the Congress of being "intolerant of criticism", said in X posts; the second targeted Mr Gandhi.

KTR, the son of BRS boss and ex-Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, has been fiercely critical of the ruling Congress in recent weeks, calling the 15-month tenure of Revanth Reddy's government a "failure" and accusing it of misleading the public.

"Show me a single person in Telangana who is happy in these 15 months..." he had dared, pointing to what he said was the lack of progress the growing discontent in the workforce.

KTR has also called the Chief Minister a "mad dog" that has "crossed every single limit of decency". 

READ | "Mad Dog...": Sparks Fly In Telangana As KTR, Revanth Reddy Face-Off

The attack came after Mr Reddy's own crude comment about KTR's father.

The BRS has planned protests across the state on Friday - on Holi - which will include rallies and burning of effigies of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

With input from agencies

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