Hyderabad Police detain Youth Congress workers disrupting BRS NEET protest at Indira Park
Synopsis
A politically charged confrontation played out in Hyderabad on 24 July as police detained Youth Congress workers — including former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav — who tried to disrupt a BRS rally at Indira Park over the NEET paper leak. The Congress accused BRS of fake sympathy after 28 days of silence; BRS accused Delhi Police of brutalising students. The NEET crisis has now become a proxy war for Telangana's post-election power struggle.
Key Takeaways
Hyderabad Police detained Youth Congress workers on 24 July at MLA Quarters, Adarsh Nagar , preventing a march to Indira Park .
Former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav led the Youth Congress group and was among those detained.
BRSV was holding a protest at Indira Park in solidarity with students demonstrating at Jantar Mantar, Delhi over the NEET paper leak .
BRS Working President K.T.
Rama Rao was scheduled to participate in the BRS demonstration.
Youth Congress alleged BRS remained silent on NEET protests for 28 days before staging its own rally, calling it 'crocodile tears.' Yadav alleged BRS had banned protests at Indira Park during its 10-year rule in Telangana.
Hyderabad Police on 24 July detained workers of the Youth Congress after they allegedly attempted to disrupt a demonstration by BRSV, the student wing of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), at Indira Park in Hyderabad. The BRS rally was called in solidarity with students protesting in Delhi over the NEET paper leak and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
How the Confrontation Unfolded
Youth Congress workers had gathered at MLA Quarters in Adarsh Nagar, intending to march toward Indira Park. Police denied the group permission to hold the rally and stationed personnel at the gates of the MLA Quarters compound. When protesters attempted to force their way through, officers detained them and shifted them to a nearby police station.
Among those detained was former MP and Congress leader Anjan Kumar Yadav, who led the Youth Congress contingent. Other Congress leaders were also taken into custody.
What the Youth Congress Alleged
Yadav and his supporters accused BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao of having no moral standing to stage the protest, alleging that the party was 'shedding crocodile tears' over what it called 'police brutalities' on students in Delhi. Yadav pointed out that the BRS government, during its 10-year rule in Telangana, had banned protests at Dharna Chowk and Indira Park — the very venue now being used for its own demonstration.
He further alleged that BRS had remained silent on the NEET protests for 28 days before suddenly expressing solidarity, questioning the sincerity of the gesture. Yadav also claimed that students suffered under BRS governance due to irregularities in intermediate examinations, and characterised BRS and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as 'two sides of the same coin.' The protesters were reportedly raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as BRS leaders.
The BRS Protest and Its Demands
BRSV organised the Indira Park gathering in solidarity with students protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, who have been demanding accountability over the NEET paper leak and calling for Pradhan's resignation. K.T. Rama Rao was scheduled to participate in the protest, which the party framed as a response to what it described as a 'brutal crackdown' by Delhi Police on student demonstrators.
Political Context
The standoff reflects the intensifying political contest in Telangana between the ruling Indian National Congress (Congress) and the opposition BRS. The Congress, which ousted BRS from power in the state in late 2023, has sought to position itself as the primary defender of student interests on the NEET issue at both the national and state levels. The BRS, now in opposition, has attempted to reclaim that space — a move the Congress is evidently determined to contest. This is not the first time the two parties have clashed over the right to hold demonstrations at Indira Park, a politically symbolic venue in Hyderabad.
With the NEET controversy continuing to roil national politics, the episode in Hyderabad signals that the issue will remain a flashpoint in Telangana's political landscape in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
BRS is using a national student crisis to rebuild its street presence — and the Congress, now in government in the state, is clearly unwilling to cede that ground. The irony of BRS protesting at a venue it once banned protests at is not lost on observers, and the Youth Congress was right to highlight it. What neither party has addressed with any specificity, however, is what concrete legislative or legal action it intends to take on the NEET paper leak itself — suggesting the students' cause is as much political instrument as genuine concern for both sides.
NationPress
24 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Hyderabad Police detain Youth Congress workers on 24 July?
Police detained Youth Congress workers on 24 July after they attempted to march to Indira Park without permission to disrupt a BRSV protest over the NEET paper leak. Officers stopped them at the MLA Quarters gates in Adarsh Nagar and shifted them to a police station when they tried to force their way through.
What was the BRS protest at Indira Park about?
BRSV, the student wing of BRS, organised the Indira Park protest in solidarity with students demonstrating at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over the NEET paper leak. The rally also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and condemned what BRS described as a 'brutal crackdown' by Delhi Police on student protesters.
What did Youth Congress allege against BRS?
Youth Congress, led by former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav, alleged that BRS was showing 'fake sympathy' for students after remaining silent on the NEET protests for 28 days. Yadav also pointed out that BRS had banned protests at Indira Park during its 10-year rule in Telangana, calling it hypocritical to now use the same venue.
Who is K.T. Rama Rao and what was his role in the protest?
K.T. Rama Rao is the Working President of BRS and was scheduled to participate in the Indira Park protest on 24 July. Youth Congress questioned his standing to hold such a rally, alleging he had been silent on the NEET issue until the day of the demonstration.
How does this incident connect to the broader NEET paper leak controversy?
The NEET paper leak has triggered nationwide protests, with students at Jantar Mantar in Delhi demanding accountability and the resignation of the Union Education Minister. The Hyderabad episode reflects how the issue has become a political flashpoint in Telangana, where BRS and Congress are competing to champion student grievances.
