Black shirts, police stop: High Court intervenes
BRS legislators were stopped and detained during a protest at the Telangana Assembly. The High Court said House-rule enforcement belonged to the Speaker, not the police.
The High Court said Assembly-rule enforcement belongs to the Speaker, not the police.
BRS legislators wearing black protest clothing were stopped from entering the Telangana Assembly on September 7, 2026, and several were detained after a confrontation at the gate. The protest was against what the party described as the Congress government’s failure to deliver electoral promises after 1,000 days in office.
The Telangana High Court then directed police not to prevent BRS legislators from entering the Assembly. It said alleged breaches of House rules were for the Speaker to address, not the police, and ordered the Director General of Police to identify officers responsible for alleged excesses and report on action taken. Justice T. Madhavi Devi asked: “Has the police got the authority? Who is the authority to take action?”
BRS leaders alleged that women legislators were pushed and manhandled, including claims that V. Sunitha Laxma Reddy’s saree was pulled and P. Sabitha Indra Reddy’s hair was pulled. The court examined photographs and called the alleged treatment unacceptable. These details remain allegations, not final findings.
Khairatabad Zone DCP Shilpavalli said black clothing was not a crime, but some slogans were objectionable, and that police acted on the Speaker’s directions. The High Court’s question was simpler: if the slogans breached Assembly rules, why was the police department auditioning for the Speaker’s chair?