HYDERABAD: The Telangana Assembly plunged into a pandemonium on Monday as a united opposition took the government to task, demanding an assurance on a one-time crop loan waiver. The persistent demand of the opposition parties led to a commotion forcing the speaker to suspend 29 members of the opposition parties from the House for the rest of the session. A miffed opposition decided to take to the streets to expose the government. Setting aside ideological differences, the opposition parties, decided to hold a state-wide bandh on October 10, if the government fails to concede to their demands.
Though the TRS came prepared to defend the opposition onslaught, the scene that unravelled on the floor of the Assembly came as a shocker and left the ruling party red-faced.
As soon as the House convened, Opposition MLAs rushed into the well demanding the state government to make a statement on waiving the crop loans of the distressed farmers in a single instalment.
However, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that the House had already debated the farmers’ issue for more than 13 hours and the government could not meet the impossible demands raised by the Opposition.
“The Opposition wanted to fulfil Alivikani Korekalu. This is not the way the House can transact its business. We have already assured that we will extend whatever help needed to the farmers. The House cannot be interrupted for the demands of the Opposition. Stalling the proceedings should not be the single point agenda of the Opposition,” Rao said.
The opposition MLAs continued shouting slogans, refusing to relent and Legislative Affairs minister T Harish Rao moved a motion urging to suspend 29 Opposition MLAs belonging to Congress, TDP, BJP, YSRC, CPI, CPM and an independent member. The MLAs were suspended for the remaining session and were physically removed from the House.
Curiously, opposition leader K Jana Reddy and J Geetha Reddy (Congress), TDP floor leader E Dayakar Rao, who was not present, and BJP MLA Raja Singh were not suspended from the House. Jana Reddy, however, walked out of the House. The suspended MLAs led by Jana Reddy later launched a diatribe against the government. “It is a black day in the annuls of the Assembly,” they said.
Around the same time, five Congress members and the lone BJP member in the Council were also suspended and they too joined the protesting MLAs.
Putting aside their ideological differences, all the leaders closetted in the BJP Legislature Party office where it was decided that the parties will launch an agitation until the government conceded to their demand of crop loan waiver. The agitations will be of individual choice for the parties but all of them will join to hold a state bandh on October 10, it was decided.
Later, they assembled in front of the Gandhi Statue on the Assembly premises and staged a silent protest.