The Telangana Assembly became a war zone today as former minister Jagadish Reddy’s comments unleashed bitter controversy. Reddy’s remarks on the Speaker during the motion of thanks to the Governor for her address angered Congress members who demanded strong action against him.
When tensions ran high, Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar adjourned the house. The Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and other ministers discussed the matter before returning to work. Congress leaders were uncompromising, maintaining Reddy’s comments were not acceptable and insulting to the Speaker. Following scrutiny of video recordings of the address, the Speaker deemed the remarks to be inappropriate and suspended Reddy from work for the duration of the session.
The row started with Jagadish Reddy’s comment that the Assembly was common to all and not the property of the Speaker. Congress leaders took this as an insult to the dignity of the House and a heated debate ensued between Congress and BRS members. Minister Sridhar Babu intervened, criticizing the tone of Reddy and seeking an apology.
First, BRS leaders came out in defense of Reddy, but eventually admitted that their party leader, KCR, had instructed them to defuse the situation by making an apology. But when the session continued, Congress members reasserted the demand for action against Reddy. Deputy Speaker Bhatti Vikramarka quoted the instances in the past when Congress MLAs were suspended under the earlier BRS government for smaller offenses.
After the fiery exchange, Minister Sridhar Babu moved a motion to suspend Jagadish Reddy till the end of the session, which was passed with speed. In protest, legislators from the BRS walked out, creating another dramatic day in the Telangana Assembly.
The incident has fanned the current political tensions in the state and further polarized the ruling and opposition parties leading up to pivotal legislative votes.
