Telangana Assembly suspends over 20 BRS MLAs for rest of monsoon session
Telangana Assembly suspends 20+ BRS MLAs for the remainder of the monsoon session following protests over alleged remarks against KCR.
The Telangana Legislative Assembly on Wednesday suspended more than 20 members of the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for the remainder of the monsoon session. Speaker G. Prasad Kumar announced the action after Legislative Affairs Minister D. Sridhar Babu moved a motion to this effect amid continued disruption.
The suspension came after BRS legislators, led by deputy floor leader T. Harish Rao, rushed to the Speaker's podium and the Well of the House, raising slogans such as "we want justice." The protest was triggered by reported claims from some Congress legislators expressing a desire for the death of BRS president and Leader of Opposition K. Chandrasekhar Rao. The BRS members demanded a debate on the alleged remarks and carried placards in support of their cause.
Despite repeated appeals from the Chair, as well as from Minister Sridhar Babu and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, the agitating members refused to return to their seats. Minister Adluri Lakshman Kumar countered by demanding a discussion on what he termed "abusive" remarks made by BRS MLCs against the Speaker. He also accused the BRS of discriminatory practices against Dalits, citing an instance where BRS leaders and cadre cleaned a road used by Congress leaders from the Dalit community.
Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka charged the BRS members with attempting to intimidate the Chair, asserting that "Dalits are not prepared to bear any more humiliation and insults." Minister Sridhar Babu noted that the BRS members ignored the Speaker's request to submit their grievance in writing, alleging that they were deliberately preventing the House from functioning.
With the protest continuing for over half an hour, Mr. Sridhar Babu moved the suspension motion. Among those suspended are T. Harish Rao, K.T. Rama Rao, G. Jagdishwar Reddy, P. Kaushik Reddy, Anil Kumar Jadhav, Kova Lakshmi, P. Sabita Indra Reddy, Sunita Lakshma Reddy, Ch. Prabhkar, K. Prabhakar Reddy, K.P. Vivekananda, T. Srinivas Yadav, and K. Manik Rao.