Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led Telangana government under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, accusing it of resorting to “vendetta politics” following the arrest of BRS leader Konatham Dileep.
The arrest, which took place upon Dileep’s return from the United States, has sparked a political controversy, with KTR alleging it was an attempt to suppress dissent and divert attention from the state government’s failures.
Dileep was detained by Telangana police after attending a book launch event in Virginia, USA, honoring his father’s legacy. KTR claimed the arrest was “illegal” and in defiance of High Court orders, accusing the Revanth Reddy government of targeting BRS leaders for their criticism of the administration.
KTR tweeted: “The shameless Congress government does it again! Ignores the High Court directives and resorts to illegal arrest of Konatham Dileep. How long will this mafia show run Revanth? Strongly condemn this illegal arrest. Let me tell you, we aren’t scared of arrests! We are fighters and will continue to fight legally and democratically. Jai Telangana.”
The Telangana government has not issued an official response to the allegations surrounding Dileep’s arrest. However, the incident has intensified the ongoing political rivalry between the BRS and the Congress, with both sides trading barbs over governance and accountability.
Dileep is a seasoned digital media professional with nearly two decades of experience working with prominent organisations such as Tata Donnelly, Apollo Hospitals, CDRC, and Google. He served as the Director of the Digital Media division of the Telangana government during the BRS (then TRS) administration. Known as a vocal social media activist, Dileep has frequently criticised policies and actions of Revanth Reddy government.
Dileep participated in Telangana statehood movement. He remains affiliated with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s (BRS) online outreach and has encouraged public engagement and critique through digital forums.
The government has arrested him earlier, and tried to arrest other times, but faced legal hurdles.