Video: BRS MLAs protest with handcuffs against Lagcherla farmers’ arrest

The BRS legislators entered the assembly wearing black shirts and handcuffs and raised slogans against the state government.

Hyderabad: MLAs of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) staged a dramatic protest in the Telangana Assembly, expressing their outrage against the Congress government over the alleged mistreatment of farmers from Lagacharla.

The protest was ignited by reports that farmers had been arrested due to a confrontation with government officials over land acquisition issues.

The BRS MLAs led by former minister T Harish Rao entered the Assembly wearing black shirts and handcuffs and raised slogans against the state government.

Party MLCs including K Kavitha joined in by wearing black.

Farmer in handcuffs

Visuals of Sangareddy Central Jail Superintendent Sanjeeva Reddy taking a farmer named Heerya Nayak in handcuffs to a hospital for treatment stirred controversy on December 12, providing ammunition to the opposition against the state government.

Sanjeeva Reddy was suspended by the government for taking a farmer in handcuffs to a hospital for treatment.

The suspension was announced after an inquiry into the incident on the orders of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

Inspector General of Police Satyanarayana conducted an inquiry in the jail along with the Sangareddy district Superintendent of Police.

The IG and other officials questioned the jail staff for four hours. They found that the jail authorities were responsible for handcuffing Heerya Naik while being taken to a hospital in Sangareddy after he complained of chest pain.

The officials also found that the jail authorities did not inform the Vikarabad district police but gave information to the Cyberabad police.

The IG clarified that Naik was not an accused in the case relating to the attack on officials during a public hearing on land acquisition for a pharma cluster in Lagacharla village of Vikarabad district. He said Naik was accused in some other case registered in Balanagar.

Earlier, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy took serious note of the incident and ordered an inquiry.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the Chief Minister enquired about the incident from officials. He expressed his anger and asked what was the need for handcuffing the farmer.

He directed senior officials to conduct an inquiry and submit a comprehensive report. He warned the officials that the people’s government would not tolerate such incidents.

The farmer was taken to hospital after he complained of chest pain. He was later shifted to a hospital in Hyderabad.