HYDERABAD: Taking strong exception to BRS working president KTR’s challenge, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Saturday asserted that any serious political discourse must take place in the Legislative Assembly. He said
that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is open to holding a detailed discussion on any issue, including Banakacherla and state welfare schemes, provided Leader of the Opposition K Chandrasekhar Rao formally writes to the Speaker requesting the convening of a session.
Speaking to the media at Praja Bhavan, Ponnam Prabhakar said that Rama Rao may not have full knowledge of the government’s initiatives due to his recent foreign tour. He maintained that the Congress government is willing to engage in discussion on any subject, and even ready to extend Assembly sessions late into the night if needed, as long as the conversation occurs within constitutional frameworks.
Prabhakar criticised the opposition’s call for open debates at venues like Press Club, questioning the appropriateness of shifting legislative discussions to non-official settings. He clarified that while the Congress is willing to engage with the media or civil society in any forum when required, official matters involving governance must be deliberated in the legislature, which he described as the ‘temple of democracy’.
Later in the day, TPCC working president T Jayaprakash Reddy, also known as Jagga Reddy, launched a sharp attack on BRS leader Rama Rao, questioning his authority to challenge Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to a debate.
Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy dismissed Rama Rao’s challenge for a public debate with the chief minister as politically irrelevant and lacking seriousness. He pointed out that the BRS working president had a record of making theatrical promises that never materialised and alleged that his current approach was no different.
The MP emphasised that the Telangana Assembly, not public venues like clubs or press gatherings, is the appropriate platform for political discussion.
Choppadandi MLA Medipally Satyam alleged that Rama Rao’s renewed political attacks were driven more by personal frustration. He said the BRS leader’s recent remarks lacked substance and were designed more to stir controversy than to contribute meaningfully to public discourse.