Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar was detained in Hyderabad for leading a protest in support of aspirants for the Telangana Public Service Commission (TPSC) Group 1 services.
The candidates had gathered in Ashok Nagar, a hub for coaching centres, to demand the postponement of the main examination scheduled between 21 and 27 October.
After meeting the aspirants, Kumar led a “chalo secretariat” rally to voice their concerns to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
The candidates raised issues about the exam schedule and the impact of government orders on the recruitment and reservation processes.
The police intervened, using lathicharge to disperse the protestors, a move that sparked controversy. Both the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) criticised the ruling Congress for the use of force.
The BRS particularly condemned the treatment of female protestors, questioning whether this was the respect shown to women in the “Indiramma Rajyam”— a term referencing the welfare-focused governance under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
In parallel, Telangana Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari assured that all preparations for the examination were in place.
The authorities remained firm on the scheduled dates, despite the ongoing protests.
Earlier in the week, a delegation of aspirants met with B Mahesh Kumar Goud, president of the ruling Congress in Telangana, and KT Rama Rao, the working president of the BRS, to discuss their concerns. However, these meetings did not result in any changes to the exam schedule.
Meanwhile, aspirants continued their protests at Gandhi Nagar Park, carrying placards that read, “Reschedule Group-1 exams — save Group 1 aspirants.”
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