KTR, Harish Rao placed under house arrest before RTC fare hike protest

HYDERABAD: Police placed former minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K T Rama Rao and senior leader T Harish Rao under house arrest on Thursday ahead of the party’s planned “Chalo Bus Bhavan” protest in Hyderabad.

Party demands immediate rollback of Telangana RTC fare hike

BRS had announced that its leaders would travel by Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) buses to the corporation’s headquarters to demand an immediate rollback of the recent fare hike. The party said the government had “betrayed” commuters by increasing fares without public consultation.

Following the fare revision, commuters now face an increase of ₹5–₹10 per ticket across various routes.

BRS leaders detained ahead of ‘Chalo Bus Bhavan’ protest

Police detained several BRS leaders early in the day and prevented others from leaving their residences. They said the detentions were precautionary measures, as no permission had been granted for the protest.

“The government that promised transparent governance is now suppressing peaceful protest. Is this democracy?” KTR posted on X, criticising Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s administration for “silencing opposition voices.”

BRS leaders condemned the police action, calling it “a complete misuse of power to stifle dissent.”