The monsoon session of the Telangana Assembly that began Monday was supposed to debate pressing matters of public concern. Instead, it started with chaos and continued to take shocking turns. What transpired in Hyderabad over the last few days was way too theatrical even by the often-anarchic standards of our democracy. In the middle, political mudslinging overshadowed public service.
On the very first day, legislators of the main opposition party BRS arrived at the Assembly wearing black shirts and carrying banners against the Congress government. The police prevented them from marching in, raising the pertinent question whether they have the authority to stop members from attending the House. The high court ruled that they do not. Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar held that the entire Assembly area including its immediate vicinity came under his jurisdiction.
The aggressive conduct led to scuffles during which a BRS Council member hurled expletives at the Speaker while the party’s women leaders were manhandled in a deplorable manner. After this, the Speaker broke down in tears. The government, in turn, was riled up over the BRS leader’s words against the Dalit Speaker. A Congress rally to BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s farmhouse added another dimension to the drama in which a Congress leader publicly stated he would pray for the former Chief Minister’s end. Later, some BRS leaders ‘purified’ the place where Dalit Congress members had protested. The entire saga bared the ugly face of politics for all to see.
It’s clear that the BRS had sought to politically corner the government. But if unleashing chaos was its tactic, then it has backfired. Two MLCs and 22 MLAs from the party were suspended for the session, and it has ended up angering Dalits. We cannot also ignore the fact that even women cops were mobbed. The so-called purification ritual and the filthy language used against the Speaker betrayed the regressive mindset of some leaders.
They let go of an opportunity to debate governance lapses in mistakenly placing private properties on a prohibited list, the looming agricultural problems, inflation and other important issues. What the opposition has done is gross disservice to the people. The government has gotten away scot-free thanks to the unruly conduct. The biggest loser is the common man.