Hyderabad, Sep 2026 : Police on Tuesday arrested Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLCs Tata Madhusudhan, popularly known as Tata Madhu, and N. Naveen Kumar Reddy for allegedly making derogatory and abusive remarks against Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar.
Madhu was taken into custody from his residence at the New MLA Quarters, while Naveen Kumar Reddy was arrested from his residence in Kokapet. The arrests came a day after a protest by BRS MLAs and MLCs at the Assembly entrance, during which the leaders were stopped by police from entering the premises for wearing black T-shirts carrying slogans.
According to police, the arrests followed a complaint filed by Pollepalli Venkatesham, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Assembly Speaker. The complaint alleged that the BRS legislators intentionally insulted and humiliated the Speaker in full public view in the presence of journalists, electronic media personnel, Assembly staff and security officials.
The complaint further alleged that the remarks were made with knowledge of the Speaker's social background and were intended to demean his personal dignity and constitutional position.
Based on the complaint, Saifabad Police registered a case under Section 352 read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, including Sections 3(1)(r), 3(2)(va) and 3(2)(vii).
The alleged remarks triggered strong reactions inside the Telangana Assembly, with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and several ministers condemning the incident and calling for action against Tata Madhu. The Chief Minister demanded that the MLC apologise for his alleged remarks and also called for his resignation and dismissal from the Legislative Council.
The issue became particularly emotional when Minister Seethakka condemned the alleged comments and said she was hurt by remarks concerning the Speaker's mother. Speaker Prasad Kumar reportedly became emotional during the proceedings.
Ministers also demanded that the case against the BRS MLC be pursued under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. They further sought an apology from BRS president and Leader of Opposition K. Chandrasekhar Rao, popularly known as KCR, over the controversy.
The incident drew condemnation from several political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and Communist Party of India. Leaders from the parties criticised the language allegedly used against the Speaker and demanded appropriate action.
Tata Madhu, however, has denied making abusive or derogatory comments against Prasad Kumar. In a statement, he claimed that Congress leaders had attributed words to him that he had never uttered.
Madhu said that if any remarks made by him were perceived as being directed at the Speaker, he was willing to withdraw them and express regret.
“If the remarks I made are perceived as being directed at the Speaker, I withdraw those comments. I express regret for the same,” he said.
The BRS MLC also alleged that party legislators were physically attacked by police while attempting to enter the legislature complex during Monday's protest. He claimed that police personnel repeatedly punched him in the stomach.
“Despite being punched in the stomach, I did not say a word. Out of intolerance, they attributed words to me that I never uttered,” Madhu alleged.
The arrests have further intensified the political confrontation between the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS in Telangana, with the controversy now likely to remain a major issue in the state Assembly and political discourse.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
