HYDERABAD: Protesting the manner in which the House was adjourned on Wednesday after adopting the Land Bill, MLAs of the Opposition -- Congress, TDP and CPM boycotted the State Legislative Assembly session for one day on Thursday.
Before the commencement of the session today, members of the three parties went to Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary’s chamber and submitted a letter stating that they were boycotting the proceedings for one day.
The Congress was upset over the abrupt adjournment of the House on Wednesday after adopting the State Land Bill. “We have not been given an opportunity even to register our protest,” Congress MLAs said.
Congress, TDP and CPM members protested with the Speaker stating that ministers and TRS MLAs were making insipid comments against the Opposition MLAs.
Senior members like N Uttam Kumar Reddy and others protested saying that only Opposition leader K Jana Reddy was allowed to speak in the House while other seniors were not given an opportunity to raise their voice.
TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy said that they boycotted the session for one day as the Assembly speaker was not protecting rights of the Opposition members.
CPM MLA Sunnam Rajaiah, who also boycotted the session, protested at the Gandhi Statute in the Assembly premises for sometime.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao invited the Opposition members, who boycotted the session, to attend the House.
With a request from Rao, Speaker Madhusudhana Chary too requested the Opposition members to attend the session. But, they did not attend the House, which debated on Haritha Haaram.
Reacting on the Opposition’s boycott, Rao said the ruling party had highest respect for the Opposition parties. “We fo not intend to act stubborn on the Opposition,” the CM said.
In a parliamentary democracy, power may come or may not come to a party, but it should be taken in a sportive spirit, the CM told the Opposition Congress members.
“The government is here to conduct the session for as many days as possible. We have no intention to insult the Opposition parties,” the CM said.
‘Speaker biased towards Oppn’
Legislative Affairs minister T Harish Rao said the Speaker was biased towards the Opposition. During the debate on 2BHK housing programme, Congress members spoke for 59 minutes, whereas the TRS members spoke only for 22 minutes. During a debate on agriculture, TRS members spoke for 42 minutes, while all the Opposition members consumed one hour 31 minutes, Harish Rao said and added that the Opposition was given sufficient time to voice their opinions in the House.