Congress-BRS confrontation escalates into showdown in Hyderabad; alleged scam at Telangana’s Gurukuls under spotlight

Telangana Congress Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Adluri Lakshman and Md. Azharuddin at Gun Park opposite Assembly in Hyderabad on Thursday (July 02, 2026) | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL A political confrontation between the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) spilled onto the streets on Thursday (July 2, 2026) as leaders from both sides challenged each other to public debates over allegations of irregularities in the procurement of uniforms, shoes and school bags for students of Telangana’s residential educational institutions (Gurkulams).Allegations of ₹2,000 crore scamThe BRS has alleged a ₹2,041-crore scam in the procurement process, claiming that the government bypassed the Telangana State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (TGCO) and awarded centralised contracts to out-of-State corporate firms, undermining local weavers and self-help groups. According to the opposition, the previous system involved decentralised procurement through TGCO, with fabric orders helping sustain rural livelihoods and stitching work being undertaken by women’s groups.Congress argues procurement model restructuredThe Congress government, however, rejected the allegations, arguing that the procurement model had been restructured to improve transparency and quality control. The new system is based on a centralised Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) that conducts open national tenders, which the government says is aimed at standardising supplies and dismantling entrenched contractor networks.The stand off intensified after BRS general secretary and former IPS officer R.S. Praveen Kumar challenged Congress leaders to an open debate on the issue. Accepting the challenge, Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Adluri Lakshman and Md. Azharuddin assembled at the Congress Legislature Party office in the Assembly premises before moving to Gun Park, where they waited for BRS leaders to join the discussion.At the same time, former Minister T. Harish Rao, accompanied by Mr. Praveen Kumar, former Minister T. Srinivas Yadav and party workers, attempted to proceed from Telangana Bhavan to Gun Park. However, police stopped them en route, leading to heated exchanges. The leaders and several supporters were subsequently detained and taken away in police vehicles.Telangana Congress Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Adluri Lakshman and Md. Azharuddin at Gun Park opposite Assembly in Hyderabad on Thursday (July 02, 2026) | Video Credit: NAGARA GOPAL Questioning the police action, Mr. Harish Rao said the BRS was only seeking to participate in a debate with Congress Ministers. Holding up documents that he claimed contained evidence of irregularities in the tender process, he alleged that the government was avoiding scrutiny.Earlier, Social Welfare Minister Adluri Lakshman dismissed the allegations and challenged BRS leaders to substantiate their claims with evidence. He maintained that the procurement process was transparent and accused the Opposition of attempting to mislead the public with unsubstantiated charges of kickbacks.The confrontation was not limited to the procurement controversy, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao remained at Telangana Bhavan awaiting a separate debate with Tourism and Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao on the State’s finances and debt position.Speaking at Gandhi Bhavan, Mr. Krishna Rao reiterated the Congress government’s charge that the previous BRS administration had left Telangana burdened with debt exceeding ₹7 lakh crore. He called on BRS leaders to present their arguments jointly and said the government was prepared to counter them with official records in a public forum.Police officials taking BRS senior leader T . Harish Rao and others in a van in Hyderabad on July 2, 2026 | Video Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G Published - July 02, 2026 12:18 pm IST