HYDERABAD: With the Opposition BRS members insisting that there be a debate on Formula E Race issue, chaotic scenes were witnessed in the state Legislative Assembly as well as in the Legislative Council on Friday.
In the Assembly, the BRS members stormed the Speaker’s podium, hurling papers into the well and protesting against the registration of a case against former minister KT Rama Rao by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in the case.
They claimed that the case against the BRS working president was illegal. At one point of time, the situation appeared getting out of control with the Congress and BRS members appearing set for a physical showdown.
Speaker Gaddam Prasad, realising the gravity of the situation, adjourned the House twice but it did not help in de-escalation of tension.
As soon as the House met in the morning, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy began speaking on the importance of the Telangana Bhu Bharati Bill and how the previous BRS government had misused Dharani portal.
The BRS members attended the session wearing black badges and holding placards. They kept raising slogans demanding a debate on the Formula E Race.
Opposition pays no heed to Speaker’s advice
The Speaker requested the Opposition members not to disrupt the proceedings when a debate on the crucial Bhu Bharati Bill was going on. He said that the Bill was very important as it sought to benefit the people at large in the state.
Promising to look into the BRS members’ demand for a debate, he suggested that they discuss the demand with him in his chambers as the case related to only one individual.
“Bhu Bharathi Bill concerns the interests of the people and has statewide relevance,” he said.
The BRS members, however, did not heed the Speaker’s advice and kept insisting on a debate on the Formula E Race case and raised slogans against the Congress.
The BRS members led by former minister T Harish Rao rushed to the Speaker’s podium.
A scuffle broke out with about two dozen marshals stopping them from rushing to the Speaker’s podium. Many of the BRS members continued to raise slogans and some tore up papers and hurled them at the Speaker, raising the temperature in the House.
The Congress members, who grew furious with the BRS MLAs’ actions, kept hurling papers at them. As chaos reigned, the Speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes at 10.20 am.
BRS MLAs behaviour deplorable: Ponguleti
The revenue minister described the behaviour of the BRS MLAs as deplorable and added that they were not allowing the House to discuss the crucial Bill for the sake of one MLA. He also condemned the behaviour of the BRS members towards the Speaker, who is a Dalit.
Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu clarified that the issues that were not included in the BAC agenda would not be taken up for discussion, which only added more fuel to the fire.
The session resumed at 11 am after the break but the BRS members continued creating scenes. Despite the Speaker’s repeated requests to resume their seats, the BRS members went on obstructing the House proceedings. Harish Rao and others rushed into the well, alleging that the Congress government was seeking to defame Rama Rao and trouble their party.
Claiming that the case filed against Rama Rao was false, he said the former minister, who is also an MLA, should be given the opportunity to explain himself in the House.
Harish Rao defended Rama Rao’s decision to host the Formula-E event, emphasising that its aim was to boost Telangana’s economy and enhance the city’s image at global level. He charged the Congress government with foisting cases against the Opposition leaders to divert people’s attention from the burning issues of the day.
Governor gave consent, no need for debate: Congress MLAs
However, some Congress MLAs said the question of discussing the issue in the House does not arise as the Governor had given his consent to register the case against the BRS working president. They said that the ACB has already begun its investigation.
Meanwhile, some BRS members alleged that Congress Shadnagar MLA V Shankar threw a shoe at them. They said it happened while Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy was speaking on Bhu Bharati Bill.
The BRS members later released a video in support of their claim. But the video was not clear as one cannot clearly see any shoe either being shown or thrown at BRS members. What all one could make out was that the Congress member was holding some article in his hand. The BRS MLAs demanded that the Speaker release the Assembly footage.
In the Council, BRS MLCs, including K Kavitha, clad in black, staged a protest against the registering of a case against Rama Rao.