The twin cities witnessed two separate protests on Saturday — one over the recent vandalism at a temple and another by job aspirants seeking postponement of the Group I state civil service examinations. The police struggled to manage both protests, resorting to lathi charge and even detained Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar, along with several BRS leaders. Opposition parties, BJP and BRS, also joined the protests and took potshots at each other.

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar was detained by the police for joining a protest being staged by job aspirants demanding the postponement of the Group I state civil services examinations. He led a rally called ‘Secretariat chalo’ after meeting protesters who had faced a police lathi charge on Friday at Ashoknagar, where most of the city’s coaching centres are located.

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The Union Minister addressed the job aspirants before being whisked away by the police in a vehicle. Later, he staged a dharna at the Ambedkar statue near the Secretariat. Commenting on the issue, he said that following the government order (GO 29) making changes in reservations for Group I examinations, “the Congress party should clarify whether they will scrap reservations or keep it in Telangana.” The job aspirants are demanding the cancellation of this order, alleging it is unfair to reserved category students. Many job aspirants who reached the gates of the Secretariat were later detained and removed by the police.

The BJP and BRS workers also engaged in a fracas, with both sides demanding that the other party’s leaders leave. BRS leaders Sravan Dasoju and RS Praveen Kumar were leading a rally when BJP workers raised “BRS Go Back” slogans and asked them to leave. The BRS retaliated, leading to pushing and shoving. Police intervened and arrested the BRS leaders.

The BRS accused the BJP of trying to dilute the protest against Revanth Reddy, who they described as being friendly to the BJP. “You are sending your dost (friend) Bandi Sanjay there with the CRPF forces, as they are worried that your government will fall,” KT Rama Rao alleged. He criticised the Chief Minister while condemning the arrest of his party leaders. He said, “The way this government is dealing with the Group I candidates who have been protesting for the last four days is pathetic and painful. Most of these candidates will be top officials tomorrow. Sadly, they are being beaten like cattle… The government should hold talks with the candidates, and the examinations should be postponed after listening to their argument.”

Meanwhile, tensions flared in Secunderabad as VHP and Bajrang Dal members had given a call for a bandh on Saturday to protest against the vandalism at the local Muthyalamma temple. Local businesses were shut and protesters turned violent, prompting the police to lathicharge them. The incident that sparked the protest involved an engineering graduate from Maharashtra, who entered the temple and desecrated the idol. He was caught by locals, beaten up, and handed over to the police.