Telangana CM Revanth steps up attack on Rahul Gandhi’s detention; leaders and cadre stage dharnas

Declaring that the Congress had a history of fighting oppression since the freedom struggle, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy termed the ‘detention and attack’ on Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and the party’s general secretary Priyanka Gandhi as an example of fighting against the ‘tyranny’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

Addressing a dharna at Ambedkar Chowrasta in Kodangal, the Assembly constituency he represents, Mr. Reddy accused the Centre of suppressing democratic dissent and failing to ensure accountability in the NEET examination scandal. “Why is the Centre running away from a discussion in the Parliament?” he asked.

He said Mr. Rahul Gandhi and Ms. Priyanka Gandhi had joined the students’ protest in New Delhi to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a thorough probe into the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. “Mr. Rahul Gandhi was doing his duty of speaking on behalf of the nation and the Centre had decided to use brutal suppression for speaking the truth,” he charged.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Mahesh Kumar Goud leads Congress leaders and cadre during the ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan)’ protest march from the Indiramma statue to Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on Wednesday (July 22, 2026)
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G

Telangana CM on police crackdown

The Chief Minister alleged that students protesting against the paper leak were subjected to a “brutal” police crackdown and claimed that several were injured and some were unaccounted for after the protests. He questioned why action had not been taken against those responsible for the alleged paper leak while protesters were targeted instead.

Referring to the alleged assault on Mr. Rahul Gandhi, Mr. Reddy said the Gandhi family was known for sacrifices made for the nation. He recalled that Congress senior leader Sonia Gandhi had declined the Prime Minister’s post despite the Congress being in power and had not accepted a ministerial position either, asserting that the party had upheld democratic values.

The Chief Minister further accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of failing to protect students’ interests and alleged corruption in the conduct of national examinations, including NEET and CBSE-related processes. He said the Congress would continue its agitation until Mr. Pradhan was removed from the Union Cabinet.

Telangana Congress cadre and leaders protest in Hyderabad

The Congress cadre led by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud held a protest at Lok Bhavan in Hyderabad against the ‘assault’ on Mr. Rahul Gandhi. Senior leaders including Ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Damodar Rajnarsimha, Mohd Azharuddin, Vivek Venkatswamy; MLAs Danam Nagender and Naveen Yadav; senior leaders Shabbir Ali, Balmoori Venkat and Rohin Reddy joined the protest along with large number of cadres.

Mr. Mahesh Goud accused the Centre of running a police raj, and it has to succumb to the protests of the youth any day for their mistakes. “Why is Dharmendra Pradhan being spared by PM Modi?” he asked. The police detained the leaders and the cadre at the Lok Bhavan and shifted them to different police stations.

Deputy CM protests in Hanamkonda

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Viramarka led the protests in Hanamkonda where Minister Konda Surekha, MLA Nayini Rajender Reddy also joined. Mr. Vikramarka said it had become a culture for the BJP to suppress the opposition voices whenever they stood up for people’s rights.

Jagga Reddy on dharna

TPCC working president and three-time MLA, T Jagga Reddy, is staging a dharna at Sangareddy against Rahul Gandhi’s arrest since Tuesday night.

TPCC working president and three-time MLA, T Jagga Reddy staging protest in Sangareddy
| Photo Credit:
MOHD ARIF

Mr. Jagga Reddy said the Congress would ghearao the BJP leaders in Telangana if the Centre fails to apologise to Mr. Rahul Gandhi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was not made to resign.

He said the Centre did not even apologise to the NEET aspirants for the paper leak — that took the lives of several aspirants, and also lakhs of students and parents, who had to undergo mental harrasment for government’s failure to conduct the exam properly.

Ponnam Prabhakar on dharna

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar led a dharna in Husnabad, Karimnagar district and said the party would intensify its campaign in support of students and youth across the country. He called upon party workers and the public to unite against the BJP government, asserting that the movement would continue until “justice is delivered to students and accountability is fixed.”

Telangana Congress leaders and cadre participate in the ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan)’ protest march from the Indiramma statue to Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on Wednesday (July 22, 2026)
| Video Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G