HYDERABAD: Stating that she has no objection to appear before the State Assembly Privileges Committee, YSRC firebrand and Nagari MLA R K Roja made it clear that she would not apologise to the panel for her behaviour in the House during its previous winter session.
“Why should I say sorry when I didn’t commit any mistake? My suspension and TDP MLA Anita’s allegations are two different issues which are badly mixed up by the ruling party. The issue before the Privileges Committee is about my alleged remarks on Anita whereas my suspension involves the issue of my remarks against chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the Call Money Sex racket,” she explained.
Addressing media persons here on Friday, she said: “But, on the suspension issue, I will continue to fight on the legal plane. On both counts, there are efforts to defame me and the TDP is resorting to character assassination to which I will give a blow-by-blow reply before the Privileges Panel.”
According to Roja, the suspension issue under rule 304 clause (2) did not permit the suspension of any member from the Assembly for one year. Hence, she had challenged her suspension in the court on this ground.
“During the debate in the previous winter session of the Assembly on the Call Money issue, I had used the word Ca. Ma., an abbreviated form for Call Money, which is in vogue and was printed in many newspapers. When the media used this abbreviated form for Call Money, how can I be at fault for using same word during the sloganeering in the House?” Roja questioned.
She alleged that the ruling TDP was trying to destroy her politically as she had stood behind the victims of call money scandal by questioning the “wrongdoings” of the ruling establishment.
“As chief minister Naidu cannot tolerate a woman pointing an accusing finger at him, he is inciting his party’s Dalit woman MLAs against me. He is hell-bent on gagging my voice. I will not be deterred and I will fight the suspension issue in courts and on other forums,” she said.
Referring to the issue of her alleged remarks on TDP MLA Anita, Roja said, “I will give a blow-by-blow reply to the Privileges panel as I have all the clippings with me. I am ready with questions as to how the selective leakage of video footage of the Assembly proceedings of December 18 happened. Why only Roja was shown and why the other provocateurs were not shown should also be answered.” She further alleged that the selected clippings were edited heavily as her dress varied from time to time.
“This is the design of CM Naidu to make an issue out of no issue and the script was written later to implicate me in this false case,” Roja alleged.