Speaking to the media, Harish Rao criticized the Congress-led state government, accusing it of targeting former sarpanches with politically motivated arrests. "Arresting sarpanches like criminals in the dead of night is a shameful act," he said. He pointed out that many sarpanches had invested their personal funds, even selling family assets, to complete public works in their villages, only to face bureaucratic delays when requesting reimbursement. Rao accused the government of “turning a blind eye” to their pleas, despite the significant contributions sarpanches have made to the state’s rural development under the leadership of K. Chandrashekar Rao.
Highlighting the disparity in treatment, Rao said that while the government has been quick to settle payments for major contractors, the smaller, village-level leaders are being denied funds for work they’ve already completed. He questioned why sarpanches, who have been instrumental in securing national awards for Telangana’s panchayats, were now being “punished” instead of rewarded.
"How can the Chief Minister speak of ambitious projects like cleaning the Musi river with a budget of Rs. 1.5 lakh crore when he cannot release pending bills for village development?" Rao asked, demanding an immediate release of funds to prevent further distress among the sarpanches, some of whom have reportedly been driven to contemplate extreme measures.
Accompanying Rao were other prominent BRS figures, including Legislative Council Opposition Leader Madhusudhana Chari, former Minister Prashanth Reddy, and MLAs Kotha Prabhakar Reddy and Dr. Sanjay. They, too, were taken into custody by the police. The incident has added fuel to the ongoing discontent among rural leaders, as calls grow for a more equitable and responsive approach from the state government in addressing their concerns.
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