Swamy Goud faked injury at KCR's instance: Uttam

Hyderabad : Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has claimed that the Congress MLAs never attacked Council Chairman and Swamy Goud was faking his injury at the instance of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

Speaking to media persons at Assembly Media Point on Tuesday, Uttam Kumar Reddy strongly condemned the expulsion of MLAs Komatireddy Venkatreddy and S.A. Sampath Kumar and also the suspension of 11 other members including him for the rest of the session. He said that Speaker S. Madhusudan Chary has suspended the Congress MLAs for an incident that did not occur at all. He demanded that the entire footage of the incident that occurred in the Assembly during the joint address of Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to Telangana Legislature be made public.

He said some news channels are repeatedly showing the footage of Komatireddy throwing a headphone. However, he said that the headphone was not thrown in the direction of the podium and Swamy Goud was not sitting anywhere close to the point where headphone apparently fell down. Stating that there were many cameras covering the incident, he asked as to why the video footage of headphone actually hitting Swamy Goud was not being shown.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said it was impossible that the headphone might have changed its direction midair like a missile and hit the right eye of Swamy Goud. He said that the Governor's speech continue for about 10-15 minutes after the incident where Swamy Goud looked completely normal. Further, Goud, along with others, also walked up to the Governor's car to give him a ceremonial send off. But a few minutes later, the enactment of drama began with Swamy Goud being shifted to a hospital on a wheelchair. He pointed out that Goud himself told media persons that the Chief Minister asked him to get admitted in a hospital.

The TPCC chief alleged the entire drama was scripted by KCR who wanted to prevent the main opposition from participating in discussions on TRS Government's last budget. He said that during the Governor's address Congress members were thrown out of Assembly using marshals. He said that the Speaker did not allow Congress MLAs to explain their version and took a unilateral decision of expulsion of two members and suspension of all others for rest of the budget session. He said the expulsion and suspensions were a blot on democracy.

Uttam Kumar Reddy accused KCR of working like a dictator and said his continuance on post was a serious threat to the very existence of democracy. He said KCR Government has failed to fulfil any of its promises including 12% reservation for Muslims and STs, double bed room houses for poor, 3 acres of land for Dalits and did not solve problems being faced by farmers, jobless youth, students and other sections. The Chief Minister was afraid that the Congress legislators would expose his government's failures during the session. Therefore, KCR enacted a poorly scripted drama to suppress the voice of main opposition.

The TPCC Chief said that it was highly regrettable that the TRS Government wants to pass the budget by throwing out all Congress MLAs and MLCs from Assembly and Council. In this case, he said it would be appropriate if KCR conducts the session at his party headquarters than holding it in Assembly.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also slammed the Speaker for his behaviour and accused him of being biased towards Congress MLAs. He said Madhusudan Chary did not act on disqualification petitions of MLAs who defected to ruling TRS for almost four years. However, he said it took less than 24 hours for him to take a decision against Congress legislators.

The TPCC chief said it was customary for opposition members to hold protest in the well of the House. He said when the Congress members were being suspended from Assembly, TRS MPs were holding similar protest in Lok Sabha. He said even KCR's daughter and Nizamabad MP K. Kavitha is protesting in the Parliament by holding a placard. He said if the agitation by TRS MPs was correct, then how KCR could punish Congress MLAs for the same act.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Congress party would fight for justice and register its protest in all possible manners. He said KCR could not stop Congress party from exposing his failures before public by throwing out its MLAs from the House.