Bandi terms Speaker’s decision as ‘murder of democracy’
Hyderabad/New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and senior BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Wednesday criticised the Speaker’s decision to dismiss the disqualification petitions filed against Kadiyam Srihari and Danam Nagender, calling it “shameful” and an assault on democratic values.
Addressing the media, Bandi Sanjay alleged that under Congress rule in Telangana, constitutional and legislative institutions were being systematically weakened, leading to what he described as the “murder of democracy.” He remarked that just as it is a grave sin for a mother to kill her own child, it is an even greater crime for the legislative system itself to destroy democracy.
The BJP leader accused the Speaker of delivering a verdict that actively encourages political defections. He questioned how leaders who were elected as MLAs from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) could contest parliamentary elections on Congress tickets without facing disqualification, describing it as a “matter of disgrace.”
Bandi Sanjay said it was “laughable” that leaders who campaigned wearing Congress scarves were being portrayed as not having defected. He alleged that despite staying at Gandhi Bhavan and actively campaigning for the Congress party, no action had been taken against them, which he said was damaging to the very foundations of democracy.
He also questioned Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s role, asking whether it was not true that the Chief Minister himself had welcomed defecting leaders by draping them with Congress scarves. Bandi Sanjay demanded that the Chief Minister immediately clarify his stand on the issue.
According to the Union Minister, the Speaker’s ruling had eroded public trust in the legislative system. He accused the Congress of attempting to confine constitutional institutions within the party office and asserted that the Speaker must function independently rather than acting as a “servant of the Gandhi family.”
Calling upon democrats to speak up, Bandi Sanjay said the responsibility of correcting what he termed a completely derailed legislative system lies with the people. He made a sharp political attack, stating that democracy in Telangana cannot be protected unless the Congress is “thrown into the Bay of Bengal.”
He also announced that the BJP would challenge the Speaker’s decision in the High Court, expressing complete faith in the judiciary. Drawing a comparison with West Bengal, he recalled that when a similar disqualification-related verdict was delivered by the Speaker there, the High Court struck it down with strong remarks.
Meanwhile, BJP state chief N Ramchander Rao raised serious political and constitutional questions, addressing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
