HYDERABAD: BRS MLCs T Madhusudhan alias Madhu and N Naveen Kumar Reddy were suspended from the Telangana Legislative Council for the remainder of the session on Tuesday for their derogatory remarks against Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar.
The Council unanimously adopted a resolution moved by Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu, following a resolution in the Assembly seeking action against the two MLCs.
The action came amid a heated exchange between Gaddam Prasad and BRS MLA T Harish Rao in the Assembly over alleged police high-handedness against BRS women MLAs during Monday’s protest. Harish Rao questioned whether the Speaker had no responsibility to act against the police officers, prompting Gaddam Prasad to respond by referring to the remarks allegedly made by Madhu against him and his mother.
Harish Rao said he was anguished over the treatment of his women colleagues, alleging that a woman’s saree was pulled and that police behaved in a high-handed manner with
P Sabita Indra Reddy. He said the BRS had complained to the Police Commissioner, but cases were instead registered against Sabita Indra Reddy, Sunita Laxma Reddy and other women MLAs.
The Speaker said the House had always respected its women members. Harish Rao said the BRS women MLAs were like his sisters and that he was angry over the police action. He said a report had been sought on the incident. Sridhar Babu said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the Speaker had sought a report and that action would be taken after its submission.
The exchange turned personal when Gaddam Prasad referred to the remarks by Madhu. “I should be angry, not you. The comments were not against your mother; they were against my mother. I should be angry. How can you be angry? You cannot control me with your threats,” the Speaker told Harish Rao.
Panchayat Raj Minister Danasri Anasuya (Seethakka) said the facts surrounding Monday’s incident should come out and alleged that the BRS had put women MLAs at the front, while BRS working president KT Rama Rao had also misbehaved with policewomen.
Earlier, the Assembly had adopted a resolution moved by Health and Family Welfare Minister Damodara Rajanarsimha and seconded by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, directing that all evidence relating to Madhu and Naveen Kumar Reddy be sent to the Legislative Council for action.
Panel Speaker Vakiti Srihari presided over the proceedings when the resolution was adopted. Vikramarka said: “Remarks against Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar are a lasting blot on democracy. It is not merely an insult to an individual but to the entire legislature. The Speaker comes from a Dalit background, which is an additional matter of honour, but it is not appropriate to view him merely as a
‘Dalit Speaker’. He is the Speaker of the entire Legislative Assembly.”
BRS leadership showed no remorse: Bhatti
Vikramarka alleged that the BRS had not shed its “old feudal mindset” and was unable to accept its loss of power.
He also alleged that a conspiracy had been hatched at a BRS Legislature Party meeting at the farmhouse in Erravelli, alluding to BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao.
He said the BRS leadership had not expressed remorse over the incident and that repeatedly targeting the Speaker’s chair and creating situations in which members moved aggressively towards the Speaker were not conducive to democracy.
The Assembly resolution recorded its “strongest condemnation and profound disapproval” of the alleged utterances by the two MLCs near Gate No 3 on September 7 and also condemned their alleged
removal of their T-shirts in public in the presence of women.
It called on BRS president and Leader of the Opposition K Chandrasekhar Rao to take responsibility for their conduct and tender an unconditional apology to the Speaker.
The Council later acted under sub-clause 2 of sub-rule 2 of Rule 308 of its rules.
When it resumed in the evening, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar demanded immediate action against the two MLCs. Ministers Adluri Lakshman Kumar and Ramachandra Naik
also demanded an apology from the BRS.
The dispute over Monday’s protest continued to disrupt the Assembly on Tuesday, with BRS MLAs attempting to move towards the Speaker’s podium before being stopped by marshals. The Speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes as the din continued. BJP MLA Alleti Maheshwar Reddy urged the Congress and BRS to apologise to each other and allow the House to take up other issues, including Section 22A of the Registration Act.