Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) has called for statewide protests on August 17 against the Telangana High Court’s interim stay on the Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak welfare schemes.
KTR made the announcement after an emergency teleconference with senior BRS leaders and constituency in-charges, held following directions from BRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao.
The BRS has asked its cadre to organise protests at constituency and mandal centres across Telangana, demanding that the two welfare schemes continue without interruption.
What did the High Court order?
- The Telangana High Court on August 12 imposed a four week interim stay on the implementation of Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak.
- The case was filed by advocate Vijay Gopal, who argued that the schemes were not supported by legislation enacted by the state legislature. The petitioner also pointed out that the government had been directed to file a counter affidavit but had not done so within the period granted by the court.
- The state government sought additional time to respond. The court subsequently passed the interim order and adjourned the matter for four weeks.
- The next hearing is scheduled for September 9, 2026.
KTR targets Congress government
- KTR alleged that the Congress government had failed to properly defend the schemes before the court and accused it of using the court proceedings as an opportunity to discontinue the programmes.
- He questioned why the government was willing to spend heavily on legal representation in other cases but, according to him, had not adequately defended welfare schemes intended to assist economically weaker families.
- These are political allegations made by KTR and the BRS and should not be presented as established facts.
BRS demands continuation of schemes
- The BRS says Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak have provided financial assistance to poor families facing wedding expenses.
- According to KTR, the schemes were introduced by the previous BRS government after Telangana was formed. The financial assistance, initially fixed at ₹51,000, was subsequently increased to ₹75,116 and later to ₹1,00,116.
- KTR claimed that around ₹13,000 crore had been distributed to approximately 13 lakh beneficiaries during the BRS government’s tenure.
Protests planned across Telangana
- The BRS has called on its leaders and cadre to hold demonstrations at constituency and mandal centres on August 17.
- The party says the protests are intended to pressure the government to defend the schemes in court and ensure that eligible beneficiaries do not lose access to the financial assistance.
- BRS leaders have also demanded that the Congress government clarify its position on the future of both schemes.
What happens next?
- The immediate issue will depend on the Telangana High Court proceedings. The stay is currently an interim measure and does not represent a final ruling on the validity or future of the schemes.
- The next major development is expected at the September 9 hearing, when the court will consider the government’s response and the petitioner’s arguments.
- For now, the issue has become a major political confrontation between the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS, with the welfare of eligible families at the centre of the dispute.
Business Galaxy Takeaway
The Telangana High Court’s interim stay on Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak has triggered a political confrontation in the state. KTR has announced statewide BRS protests on August 17, while the legal battle over the schemes is expected to continue at the next hearing on September 9.
The court’s final decision will determine the future of the two welfare programmes.
