Top BRS leaders including KT Rama Rao placed under ‘house arrest’

Meanwhile, a local court in Karimnagar granted bail to Kaushik Reddy on Tuesday. He was arrested from Jubilee Hills late Monday evening.

Reacting to Kaushik Reddy’s arrest, KTR had said that filing illegal cases and arresting BRS leaders have become commonplace under Congress Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s government. He alleged that the CM was resorting to such tactics to evade questions on his one year of governance which, according to KTR, failed to fulfil its election promises.

He shared the word ‘kakistocracy’ and its meaning on X, “state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens” and referred to the Congress rule in Telangana as a “good example” of it.

On Tuesday, former minister Harish Rao accused the ruling dispensation of resorting to misuse of power, political vendetta, double standards and violation of legal procedures after Kaushik Reddy’s arrest. After the MLA was granted bail, Harish Rao alleged that the case against him was fabricated, the police were being used as a tool for political persecution and arrests were made without proper cause.

“The Supreme Court has repeatedly stated that station bail should be granted for bailable offenses. Yet, the police are acting like a large group of dacoits, making late-night arrests even for trivial matters,” he said, pointing out that Kaushik Reddy has 28 cases against him, all filed after Revanth Reddy came to power. This is “clear evidence of political vendetta”, he added.

Harish Rao said Kaushik Reddy merely asked a legitimate question at a meeting. “Why file three cases for a single incident? This is nothing but vindictiveness.” Kaushik Reddy, a former Congress leader, had joined the BRS in 2022 and was elected an MLA in the 2023 Assembly polls.

The FIR was registered against Kaushik Reddy following his altercation with Jagtial MLA M Sanjay Kumar during a review meeting at the Karimnagar collectorate. At the meeting, Kaushik repeatedly interrupted the latter asking to clarify which party he belonged to even as ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar and Duddilla Sridhar Babu were present.

Police invoked BNS sections 132, 115(2), 352 and 292 in the FIR against Kaushik Reddy based on a complaint from Sanjay Kumar’s personal assistant who alleged that the Huzurabad MLA abused, obstructed and physically assaulted the Jagtial legislator while the latter was delivering a speech.

Sanjay Kumar, who won the 2023 Assembly election on a BRS ticket, had switched to Congress in June 2024. He was among 10 BRS MLAs who joined the Congress. “Sanjay, who has openly declared his allegiance to the Congress party, should be disqualified. The Speaker should take immediate action against him,” Harish Rao demanded.