BJP chief Ramchander Rao arrested

Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao was arrested by police in Hyderabad on Tuesday when he attempted to travel to Nalgonda district to meet local BJP leader Nagam Varshit Reddy, whose residence was allegedly attacked by Congress workers.

The police placed Ramchander Rao under house arrest to stop him from leaving for Nalgonda. Police personnel were deployed outside his house in Tarnaka since morning.

When the BJP leader came out of the house and tried to board a vehicle to leave for Nalgonda, police arrested him and shifted him to Gandhi Nagar Police Station.

Ramchander Rao posted on social media that the Congress party arrested him to stop him from visiting the Nalgonda district BJP president after “Congress goons” ransacked his house. “I wanted to visit him to extend my solidarity. Displaying its utter disregard for democracy and the Constitution, the Congress government has arrested me,” he posted on ‘X’.

He earlier claimed that he was kept under house arrest to prevent him from visiting Nalgonda to meet BJP Nalgonda District President Nagam Varshit Reddy, whose house was allegedly vandalised by Congress workers in Nalgonda after a reported clash between both parties.

The BJP alleged that Varshit Reddy’s family members, including his mother, were physically assaulted by Congress workers on Monday evening. Instead of taking strict action against those responsible for the attack, the Congress government has chosen to house-arrest the BJP state President.

Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, strongly condemned the arrest of Ramchander Rao. The second house arrest in a week is a blatant assault on democracy. The muzzling of opposition voice reflects the anti-emergency, anti-democratic rule of Congress.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, also condemned Ramchander Rao’s arrest.

"Attack BJP? Walk free. Stand with BJP? Get arrested. A BJP leader’s house is attacked. No action. The BJP State office is attacked. No remand. But when state BJP president Ramchander Rao stands by our party workers, he is arrested. What kind of law and order is this?” he asked in a post on ‘X’.

“Under Congress rule, those who attack BJP get protection, while those who question the government face the police. I demand the immediate and unconditional release of Ramchander Rao garu. Congress should remember: using the police to silence the Opposition didn’t save the KCR government. It won’t save Congress either,” he said.