The two expelled Congress MLAs — Komatireddy Venkata Reddy and Sampath Kumar — sat on a 48-hour deeksha at Gandhi Bhavan protesting against what they termed “undemocratic” and “dictatorial” decision of the government.
They were joined by all the suspended Congress MLAs and host of other leaders apart from the cadre who raised slogans against the government and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao. Mahila Congress activists offered them harathi to kick off the deeksha.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy termed the expulsion and suspension as a decision instigated by the Chief Minister and the Speaker merely read out without giving an opportunity to the members to explain their views on the entire episode. He said Congress MLAs never attacked Council Chairman Swamy Goud and the government would have released the footage if the incident had actually occurred.
“Despite our repeated requests no footage has been released and it only shows how KCR wants to drive out the Opposition from the Assembly fearing they would raise issues of public concern and his unfulfilled promises,”Mr. Reddy said.
Speaker Madhusudhana Chary reacted within 24 hours on the incident while sitting on the disqualification petitions of defected MLAs for the last four years and it shows who is running the House.
He said it was unfortunate that Legislative Affairs Minister T. Harish Rao who jumped benches to reportedly attack Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan at the height of the separate Statehood movement, was speaking about decency. The Congress respected his right to dissent that time and did not take any action.
CLP leader K. Jana Reddy lamented that dictatorial behaviour of the government and called for state-wide protests to end the ‘undemocratic’ rule. TPCC working president Bhatti Vikramarka and LoP in the Council Shabbir Ali said when TRS can protest in Parliament why can’t the Congress in the Assembly. If members are expelled where is the need for Assembly and how will democracy suirvive. They demanded that the Government roll back its decision. Mr. Revanth Reddy, who joined the deeksha late, said Speaker had no rights to expel members on an incident that occurred when Governor was speaking. It is the Governor who has to take a decision.
Former MP Ponnam Prabhakar said TRS was playing the BC card on the issue and questioned where was this sincerity when Swamy Goud was not given ministry despite the promise made to him.
Mr. Venkat Reddy vowed to fight till KCR was defeated and reminded that had resigned from Ministry for Telangana and had not taken up a ‘fake fast’ like Mr. KCR. “If bypolls come we will ensure that Sampath wins with 50,000 majority,” he said. He also wanted the visuals of Mr. Swamy Goud getting hit be made public if at all the incident occured. Sampath Kumar said he was being targetting for being critical of the government.
