A day after the Telangana Assembly witnessed a ruckus in the House, Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary expelled two Congress MLAs and suspended 11 others including the Leader of the Opposition K Jana Reddy for the entire Assembly session.
The two Congress MLAs, who were expelled are Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and SA Sampath Kumar.
The Speaker’s decision comes after Legislative Council Chairman K Swamy Goud suffered an eye injury when Nalgonda MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy threw headphones at him during the Governor’s address to the joint sitting of the legislature.
Terming the attack on the Council Chairman as ‘contemptuous’ and ‘unruly’, Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao on Tuesday moved a resolution to suspend the Congress members for their utter disregard for the proceedings in the House. The resolution was unanimously approved by MLAs belonging to the ruling TRS and the AIMIM, following which the Speaker asked the Congress members to leave the House.
Thanking the Speaker and the House for their decision, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also lashed out at the Congress legislators. He accused the Congress of playing cheap politics.
“The justification that we didn’t mean to attack the Chairman but the Governor is deplorable.”
He also called the Congress’ accusation that the Chairman was doing a drama ‘derogatory’.
KCR said, “When we have told them clearly (Congress) in the last session that we are ready to debate and discuss any issue which they want. What was the need for such a fight? Was it deliberate to create anarchy? They are crossing their limits, honourable Speaker.”
He said that the incident was extremely unfortunate and sad. “I didn’t imagine that such an incident would take place in the House.”
An angry also KCR accused that the Congress of spreading rumours about his government.
AIMM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi also calling the unprecedented ruckus a ‘Black Day’ in democracy and for the House. “What happened yesterday in this House is uncalled for. It is our responsibility that we maintain dignity and decorum and give honour to the post which we are upholding.”
“Everybody has the right to agitate, to protest and it’s a right given in our democracy. With the protest and education, we are not only putting across our points of dissent but also strengthening democracy. But protest cannot become violent. We cannot cross limits. There is a limit. And yesterday all those limits were crossed,” he said, adding, “Instead of apologizing and offering regrets. Their (Congress) claims that they were aiming at the Governor but it hit the Chairman is extremely sad.”
However, Akbaruddin Owaisi urged the Chair to reconsider the suspension of Leader of Opposition K Jana Reddy, pointing out that he did not participate in the ruckus. BJP’s G Kishan Reddy also urged the Chair to reconsider Jana Reddy’s suspension.
On Monday, on the first day of the Assembly session, Congress legislators attempted to disrupt the Governor ESL Narasimhan’s speech as he was heaping praise on the TRS government for their initiatives. Attempting to disrupt proceedings, Congress MLAs threw paper and stationery at the Governor. It was then Nalgonda MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy grabbed a headphone and hurled it at the Governor but hit Legisltive Council Chairman Goud instead, injuring his right eye.