BRS MLAs headed to probe infant mortality at Gandhi Hospital detained

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs who were heading to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad to probe infant and maternal mortality rate, were prevented by police from entering the premises of the health facility on Monday (September 23, 2024).
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement

Tension escalated at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad as the BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) MLAs, part of a fact-finding team, attempted to investigate the reported increase in maternal and infant mortality rates but were prevented by police from entering the premises. Several MLAs from BRS were detained under preventive custody by the police on Monday (September 23, 2024) when the party leaders arrived at the hospital. 

Former MLA Methuku Anand and sitting MLA Kalvakuntla Sanjay were stopped from entering the government-run hospital and subsequently arrested. Former Health Minister T. Rajaiah was arrested at the Old MLA Quarters as he was about to leave for the hospital, while MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy was placed under house arrest in Jubilee Hills. BRS Hyderabad city president and MLA Maganti Gopinath was also detained at the hospital, and the arrested leaders were later shifted to the Narayanaguda Police Station.

The BRS had formed a three-member fact-finding committee, including Mr. Rajaiah, Mr. Anand, and Mr. Sanjay, to examine alleged failures in medical services across Telangana. 

The BRS has earlier questioned why the Congress-led government was attempting to block the investigation, suggesting it feared revelations about maternal and infant deaths at the hospital would come to light.

Meanwhile, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao condemned the arrests and called for the immediate release of the detained MLAs. He took to X and wrote, “This must be a first! Arresting members of a fact-finding committee? What exactly is this government scared of? The truth coming out? Their gross inefficiencies being exposed? If there’s nothing to hide, as I requested yesterday, let the BRS Fact-Finding Committee investigate! The report will only improve public health and expose the rot in the system.”