Hyderabad: BRS MLA and former minister T Harish Rao on Thursday condemned the police crackdown on Anganwadi workers who held a “Chalo Secretariat” protest, demanding the Congress government fulfil its election promises. He called for their immediate release and criticised the government’s handling of women employees.
He directly questioned the arrest of Anganwadi teachers across Telangana. “Is this the level of respect for women in Indiramma Rajyam?” he asked, accusing Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of targeting the very women he once promised to empower.
Congress failed Anganwadi staff, says Harish Rao
Rao said the Congress had pledged to increase Anganwadi teachers’ salaries to ₹18,000. It had also committed to providing EPF benefits and job security under its Abhayahastam Declaration. “Nearly two years into power, the government has not fulfilled even one of these promises,” he said.
He noted that the previous BRS government, under then Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, had granted teacher status to Anganwadi workers. Their salaries were raised to the highest in the country ₹13,650 for teachers and ₹7,800 for mini teachers and helpers, up from ₹4,200 and ₹2,200 in 2014.
Moreover, Rao pointed out that many of the protesting women had used the Congress government’s own Mahalakshmi free bus scheme to reach the Secretariat. Yet, they were detained at police stations for exercising their democratic right to protest. “This reveals the government’s true intent,” he said, adding that it had denied them even the joy of celebrating the Bathukamma festival.
తమ సమస్యల పరిష్కారం కోసం ఛలో సెక్రెటేరియట్ పిలుపునిచ్చిన అంగన్ వాడీల పట్ల ప్రభుత్వం పోలీసులను ప్రయోగించి, కర్కషంగా వ్యవహరించడాన్ని తీవ్రంగా ఖండిస్తున్నాం.
మహిళలను కోటీశ్వరులుగా చేస్తామంటూ బీరాలు పలికిన రేవంత్ రెడ్డి, రాష్ట్ర వ్యాప్తంగా ఎక్కడిక్కడ అరెస్టులు చేసి పోలీసు స్టేషన్లకు… pic.twitter.com/bZGSdAExtj
— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@BRSHarish) September 25, 2025
