‘Address failed to reflect reality’

Opposition justifies boycott of Governor’s address to joint session of Legislature

The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi is becoming intolerant of dissent and criticism yet they speak as if they alone have faith in the Constitution, said Deputy Leader of Congress in the Legislative Council Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy.

“If opposition parties boycotting the Governor’s address in the Assembly is termed unconstitutional, then what does ruling party admitting defecting members and giving them berth in the Cabinet amount to?” he sought to know.

Speaking on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address to the joint session of legislature, Mr. Sudhakar Reddy said Mr. Narasimhan’s speech was full of lies. “We have respect for the institution of Governor as the representative of Constitution. But we are registering our protest against his address as it did not reflect the reality,” he said.

Right to boycott

When this drew protests from ruling party members, Leader of Opposition Mohd. Ali Shabbir recalled the time when the TRS members stood on the benches and ‘hit’ the same Governor with books in the combined State. Opposition had the right to boycott Governor’s address as per the Constitution.

When the ruling party members demanded that the word ‘hit’ be removed from the records, Mr.Shabbir Ali retorted that facts could not be erased from public memory.

Mr. Sudhakar Reddy pointed out that contrary to the Governor’s address, agriculture was in doldrums, and farmers were not getting fresh bank loans. There was no minimum support price for their produce with middlemen ruling the roost and 1,500 farmers committed suicide.

BJP member N. Ramachandra Rao said the Governor’s address was like same old novel rewritten in cosmetic colours and not up to people’s expectations.

‘Burden on Exchequer’

Reorganisation of districts was not done on scientific lines and added to the burden on the Exchequer. While huge industrial investments were claimed, barring software, no heavy industries that could create more jobs came to the State.

The government even failed in improving road conditions and ease traffic flow in Hyderabad with heavy influx of population even as fatal accidents were increasing.

The schemes of KG to PG, and funds to various communities remained on paper, the BJP member said and added that counter intelligence system needed to be strengthened.

Earlier, TRS member B. Venkateswarulu moved the motion of thanks on Governor’s address, seconded by P.Satish Kumar.