BRS Working President KTR Visits Jailed Leader, Denounces Political Persecution

Hyderabad — K. T. Rama Rao, working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, visited Sangareddy jail on Monday to meet with Krishank, the former chairman of the Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation, and condemned what he characterised as a pattern of political persecution by the ruling Congress administration.

The BRS delegation included a substantial contingent of party figures. Former minister Sabitha Indra Reddy joined the visit, along with MLAs Chinta Prabhakar, Padi Kaushik Reddy, Sanjay and K. P. Vivekanand. MLC Shambhipur Raju, BRS general secretary R. S. Praveen Kumar, and additional party members were also in attendance.

During the meeting, Rama Rao levelled charges that the government was weaponising the criminal justice system against BRS members who had raised questions about alleged corruption and administrative irregularities. He characterised Krishank as an accomplished individual—an educated youth leader, legal practitioner, and holder of a doctorate degree—who had been active in the Osmania University student movement during the pre-Telangana period.

The scale of cases filed against Krishank has become a focal point of the controversy. According to Rama Rao, authorities have registered approximately 35 cases against him stemming from social media posts and claims connected to government operations. The BRS leader contended that these cases were filed following Krishank's public raising of concerns regarding alleged corruption, contractual irregularities, and citizen grievances.

Rama Rao further asserted that Krishank remained incarcerated for 12 days despite the legal provision allowing for station bail in cases carrying sentences under four years. He accused the government of instrumentalising the police apparatus for partisan political gain.

The BRS working president also took aim at the government's priorities, arguing that authorities were fixating on social media content rather than tackling actual criminal activity across the state. He additionally claimed that the arrest of Krishank disregarded directions issued by the High Court, announcing that the BRS would file a contempt petition before the judiciary.

Rama Rao pledged the party's backing for BRS social media activists, pledging that the party's legal division would provide support to affected members. He extended gratitude to media outlets that he said were documenting what he termed governmental injustices.