Union Minister Kishan Reddy holds fast against BRS govt; Police shift him from protest site

Hyderabad: Union Minister and BJP president in Telangana G Kishan Reddy, who was on a 24-hour fast here on Wednesday in solidarity with the unemployed youth, was "forcibly" shifted by police from his protest site for "continuing" the protest beyond the permitted time.

Mild tension prevailed at the Dharna Chowk, the protest site, Wednesday evening as BJP activists raised slogans and opposed the police action even as Reddy was shifted to the state BJP headquarters by police.

Reddy, however, was continuing his fast at the party office, the BJP said.

Kishan Reddy said on X (formerly twitter) that BJP's fight for the rights of Telangana people would continue.

"Our arrest is your fall KCR garu..the fight continues - for the rights of the people of Telangana. KCR govt can't disrupt BJP's peaceful protest against his tyrannical rule and neglect to address the concerns of unemployed youth..," he said.

BJP General Secretary Tarun Chugh, in-charge of party affairs in Telangana, condemned the police action and claimed that Reddy fell unconscious at the protest site.

Chugh alleged that police used "brutal force" at the time of shifting Reddy and beat up party workers, including women, resulting in injuries to them.

The protesters raised slogans and tried to prevent the police from shifting Kishan Reddy from the protest site, but police took him away.

"Permission for the protest was issued from 10 am to 6 pm but they did not follow the timings and did not vacate from the protest site," a senior police official told.

Asked about Reddy falling unconscious, police said it could be due to dehydration.

Kishan Reddy, on his request, was subsequently shifted to the Telangana BJP office, the official said.

Some party leaders and activists were taken into preventive custody from the protest site and later released, the official added.

Earlier, addressing the protest, Reddy slammed the BRS government in Telangana for allegedly letting down unemployed youth since it came to power in 2014.

The youth would teach the ruling party a lesson, he said.

He asserted the BJP, after coming to power in the state, would provide jobs to youth akin to the Modi government taking up recruitment drives on a large scale.

He said lakhs of youth had fought for Telangana statehood with the hope of getting jobs.

About 1,200 "Telangana children" had sacrificed their lives during the agitation for formation of Telangana, he said.

However, the BRS government completely neglected the unemployed youth, he alleged.

"They thought they will get jobs. But, unfortunately, unemployed youth did not get jobs even after nine years," he said.

The BRS government did not conduct Public Service Commission (PSC) recruitment tests for long and "tried to deceive the unemployed youth as per a plan", he said.

And, finally, when the state government conducted recruitment tests, the test papers leaked due to the "corruption of those in the government" and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's "inability", he alleged.

This has left lakhs of unemployed youth high and dry, Reddy said.

Chief Minister KCR had promised unemployment dole of Rs 3,016 per month but "backstabbed" the unemployed youth, he alleged.

The CM had promised regularisation of Home Guards but a Home Guard has recently committed suicide in Hyderabad as he did not get salary for two months, Reddy said.

"It was not a suicide. It was a murder by the BRS government. Because, you cheated after making a promise. You did not regularise them. You said you will regularise (the services of) Home Guards but did not do," he alleged.

Many members of CM KCR's family got jobs but the unemployed youth did not get jobs, the BJP leader charged.

The Congress had also done injustice to unemployed youth, he said. The NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is filling up 10 lakh job vacancies in the Centre, he said.

About 70,000-80,000 appointment letters are being handed over every month, he said.

Under MUDRA loans, crores of unemployed youth in the country are not only being given jobs but empowered to provide jobs to others, he said.

Telangana youth would "bury" the BRS at Tank Bund in the city where they had once agitated for Telangana statehood, Reddy said.

He further alleged that the CM KCR is trying to resurrect the Congress in the state.

The youth would not forgive the BRS and Congress due to the injustice done by the two parties and teach them a lesson in the coming Assembly polls, he said.

The BJP, after it comes to power, would provide jobs to the unemployed youth similar to how the Centre is filling up vacancies, the Union Minister said.