Telangana BJP President N. Ramchander Rao Arrested Ahead of Banswada Visit; Tensions Flare in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Police on Sunday arrested Telangana BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao at his residence in Tarnaka and shifted him to a police station after he attempted to leave for Banswada in Kamareddy district.

The arrest comes in the wake of recent clashes between two groups in Banswada. Rao was planning to visit the area to meet Kamareddy MLA K. Venkata Ramana Reddy and families of those injured in the violence. Police had initially placed him under house arrest to prevent his visit. However, when he tried to proceed despite restrictions, he was taken into custody.

Tension prevailed outside his residence as BJP workers gathered in protest. A scuffle reportedly broke out between party cadres and police personnel, following which several BJP activists were also detained.

Reacting strongly, senior BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar condemned what he termed as an “illegal arrest” of the state party chief. In a statement, he alleged that instead of taking action against those responsible for the Banswada violence, the Congress government had chosen to confine an opposition leader.

Sanjay further accused the Congress and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen of “taking the law into their own hands” and questioned whether the state was witnessing “Praja Palana or police raj.” He claimed that the developments resembled “Emergency-like days” and asserted that threats and arrests would not deter the BJP from standing with victims and exposing what he described as the government’s bias.

Police officials, however, maintained that preventive measures were taken to ensure law and order in the sensitive area.