The situation in the joint session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly and Council took a turn for the worse as soon as the Budget session started on Monday.
Right after Governor ESL Narasimhan’s speech began in the Assembly, the Congress began to protest. Congress MLAs and MLCs stood up holding up placards, trying to shout over Narasimhan. They also tore up copies of the Governor’s address. In the chaos that ensued, Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy flung his headphone at the podium, even though people surrounding the Congress MLAs tried to stop Komatireddy.
The headphones struck TRS Legislative Council Chairperson Swamy Goud in the eye. He was immediately taken to the Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Hyderabad after the House was adjourned. Coming out of the Assembly, Swamy Goud was reportedly seen bleeding.
His cornea was reportedly damaged, and will be under observation till Tuesday.
Congress MLA komatireddy venkatreddy is clearly seen flinging the headphone which hit the #Telangana council chairman swamy goud in the eye. Reddy was a minister in the previous congress regime and aspires to be cm. pic.twitter.com/cgBjNR4Exo
— T S Sudhir (@Iamtssudhir) March 12, 2018
Congress members raised protests on the government's poor response to farmer suicides and the crisis in the agriculture sector.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi members took serious exception to the Congress member's 'rowdyism' in the House and demanded action against Venkat Reddy. TRS also alleged that some Congress members were drunk.
However, Congress leader in the Council Mohammed Shabbir Ali came to the defence of Venkat Reddy. He said the marshals deployed by the government outnumbered the legislators.
The Governor, meanwhile, continued his address unfazed by the protests by the Congress members.
He listed out the irrigation projects, education reforms and the initiatives undertaken by the government for development of the state and welfare of the people.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao reportedly told the MLAs that the Congress would try to disrupt the Governor’s speech, and that they should maintain restraint.
The Congress reportedly plans to raise 20 issues in the current session. This would be the TRS government’s last state budget, which is expected to be announced on March 15.
With IANS inputs