Cong decries Deputy Speaker’s act

Alleges Padma Devender Reddy of “showing bias” against the Opposition

Hyderabad: The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has on Wednesday accused Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy of “showing bias” against the Opposition in conducting business of the House.

Addressing a media conference soon after the Assembly was adjourned for the day, Former Minister and Telangana Pradesh Congress committee (TPCC) Working President Uttam Kumar Reddy said the of cutting the mike to an Opposition member, who was speaking on Demands for Grants, and giving the mike to a member of ruling party “looked ugly”. Deputy Floor leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka alleged that the House was being run at the beck and call of Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao and warned that this was in total contravention of democratic principles.

Uttam and Bhatti were referring to the sequence of events that led to walkout by Congress members in the House, after the House took up the customary discussion on the Demand for Grants on Housing, Social Welfare, Minority Welfare and others. Congress member S A Sampath Kumar was called to speak on the Demands for Grants. The member took on the government over its failure to pay bills to the eligible poor who have built their homes under the Indiramma Housing Scheme. Sampath said it was the previous Congress government that ushered in the policy of giving pucca houses to the SC, ST and backward categories to the point of saturation. He said, “It was the 125-year-old Congress which had created several small parties and merged them into itself.”

Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy, who was in the chair, directed the member to stick to the subject of debate.

Legislative Affairs Minister Harish Rao suggested the member not to indulge in political rhetoric. When Sampath resumed, he laced his address with praise of Congress and lambasted the ruling party for not showing mercy on the poor. At this stage, the Deputy Speaker cut his mike and wanted Rasamayi Balakishan to speak. Balskishan, who is a well-known folk singer, sang a couple of lines penned by poet Goreti Venkanna implying that the Congress had only painted the Indiramma Houses with the party tricolor but forgot to arrange doors and windows.

The Deputy Speaker’s act infuriated the Congress members and Opposition leader K Jana Reddy who stood up to register his protest and declared a walkout. But the mike was not given to him and the Congress members staged a walkout.