Clash in House: Oppn lambasts TRS

Demands immediate suspension of MLAs who resorted to attacks on them

Hyderabad: The entire Opposition was united in condemning the attack on MLAs by the ruling party members during the joint address of Governor ESL Narsimhan on day one of the Telangana budget session. Wearing black kanduvas and displaying the bruises they suffered in the jostling, the TDP, BJP and Congress MLAs termed the first day of the budget session as ‘black day’ in the history of the new State.

They demanded that the governor see that the Speaker takes action against the erring TRS MLAs and also to see that those who left the party were disqualified forthwith. Speaking at the media point on Saturday, the TDP MLAs led by floor leader Errabelli Dayakar Rao demanded immediate suspension of the MLAs, who were involved in the attack.

The Telangana TDP working president pointed out that there were several serious issues which the Governor’s address failed to highlight like uplift of weaker sections, promises made during the elections, drought and imposing of unwarranted taxes on people. He lamented that those who were nowhere during the Telangana struggle were being made Ministers in the TRS government. He requested Telangana JAC chairman Kodandaram to take up the issue as the people of Telangana never dreamt this kind of behaviour from K Chandrashekar Rao government.

Another leader A Revanth Reddy alleged that Minister T Harish Rao signalled the MLAs, who were involved in the attack. This was a pre- planned attack he said. Congress leaders led by D K Aruna questioned the TRS government, if this was ‘Bangaru Telangana’, which TRS had promised. She held that the incident took place because of the delay in taking action against the defectors. She questioned as to why the TRS MLAs asked to go near the podium when there were about 200 marshals positioned inside the Assembly.

BJP floor leader K Laxman held that the Assembly was turned into a sort of ‘war zone’. The souls of those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of Telangana would be in distress after seeing what had happened today, he said. The CPI and CPI (M) MLAs, Ravindra Kumar Ramavath and Sunnam Rajaiah described the action of TRS MLAs as ‘street side rowdies’ and ‘completely unjust and condemnable’.

Congress MLC Shabbir Ali alleged that the induction of Srinivas Yadav in the State Cabinet was open violation of the Constitution of India under Anti-Defection Law and the Governor, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Assembly Speaker S Madhusudana Chary and Council Chairman Swamy Goud had become a party to this violation. He demanded that immediate action be taken against all the rebel legislators.