Govt attempting to privatise public transport, alleges BRS leader

Hyderabad, (Telangana) [India], October 9 (ANI): BRS leader Talasani Srinivas Yadav on Thursday accused the Chief Minister Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government of "privatising" the public transport amid the party's call for "Chalo Bus Bhavan protest" to oppose the bus fare hike.
Heavy police were deployed at the Bus Bhavan in Hyderabad.
BRS leader Talasani Srinivas Yadav told ANI, "...Innocent and poor people are very upset with the bus fare hike... Public transport is the only option for the poor... The government is trying to privatise and we are fighting against it..."
Menawhile, Bharath Rashtra Samithi Working President KT Rama Rao on Thursday slammed the Telangana government over the RTC bus fare hike, stating that they do not know how to function the administration but to "run a circus".
Speaking to the media, KTR claimed that the BRS leaders were arrested across the state."This government doesn't know how to run a government. They only know how to run a circus. They put me under house arrest in the morning and let me go later. Now they have deployed police everywhere and are arresting our leaders. I don't understand what they are trying to do.
We express our sympathies with our police brothers who are suffering because of the government's silly decisions," KTR said.
The BRS leader accused the government of arresting people who are protesting democratically, stressing that it is the government's duty to bear the obligation of RTC loss rather than putting it on the common people."People who are democratically protesting by sitting in a bus are being arrested... If their free bus service has resulted in losses to the exchequer, it is the obligation of the government to take up the loss and not push it on the common people," he said.
The BRS leaders were to hold a 'Chalo Bus Bhavan' protest against the recent RTC bus fare hike. Further, KT Rama Rao demanded the rollback of the fare hike, citing its impact on the lives of common people and the middle class."
We are protesting against the steep increase in the bus ticket fares, which is going to impact the common man and middle class of Telangana. We are demanding that the government answer our questions.
When you are aware that RTC will be at a loss because of free bus service, so why did you do it? Now that the RTC is facing losses because of your decisions, why is the public paying the price for it?... We demand the RTC MD to roll back this decision and inform the government," KTR said.
Meanwhile, in Mehadipatnam, BRS leader Harish Rao travelled in a bus and interacted with passengers during the RTC bus protest.Earlier, the Telangana Police had placed Bharat Rashtra Samithi, BRS party's Working President KT Rama Rao under house arrest on Thursday at his residence amidst heavy police deployment.
In a tweet on X, KT Rao said, "All I wanted to do is board an RTC bus peacefully, travel to RTC MD office & submit a letter demanding roll back of steep hike in Bus ticket fares Look at the number of police officers deployed right now outside my housing complex!! All to prevent one person from boarding a Bus ?! Wish the police show the same level of enthusiasm about controlling the crime rate that is spiralling in Hyderabad."
The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) had increased the minimum city bus fare by Rs 10 with effect from October 6. Passengers travelling by City Ordinary, Metro Express, E-Ordinary, and E-Express services will pay an additional Rs 5 for the first three stages and Rs 10 from the fourth stage onwards. (ANI)