The Telangana Assembly witnessed high drama on Tuesday morning as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs staged a protest, donning black shirts and handcuffs to highlight the alleged mistreatment of farmers from Lagacharla.

The opposition party accused the Congress-led Revanth Reddy government of targeting farmers and demanded the release of Heerya Naik, a farmer arrested during violent clashes in Lagacharla.

“This is no governance, this is loot governance… Shame, shame for shackling farmers,” chanted the BRS leaders.

The controversy began on December 13, when Armed Reserve (AR) constables handcuffed and transported Naik, who suffers from a cardiac condition, for medical evaluation. Viral videos showing him restrained during his hospital visit sparked outrage, prompting prison authorities to suspend the Sangareddy district jailer for procedural lapses. However, Telangana police sources alleged that the incident was part of a conspiracy orchestrated by a key accused already in judicial remand.

BRS MLCs, including K Kavitha, joined the protest in the Legislative Council, wearing black dresses as a mark of solidarity with the arrested Lagacharla farmers.

This comes a day after BRS members submitted an adjournment motion notice to the Council Chairman, seeking a discussion on the Lagacharla farmers’ issue. However, the notice was rejected, prompting the members to resort to slogans, display placards, and demand the withdrawal of cases filed against the farmers.

The winter session of the Assembly is expected to continue until December 21, with tensions likely to persist as the BRS remains adamant about discussing farmers’ rights and addressing procedural issues in the House.