BRS disrupts Governor’s address as speech lists tall claims of Congress govt

The Telangana Legislature’s budget session opened with heated protests as Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla presented the Congress government’s vision document Telangana Rising-2047, targeting a $3 trillion economy by 2047. The session saw sharp exchanges, slogans, and allegations of scams, underscoring the tense political climate in the State.

Hyderabad: The budget session of the Telangana Legislature began on a stormy note on Monday as Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla listed ambitious targets and claimed achievements of the Congress government in his address to the joint sitting of the Assembly and Council. However, the BRS members repeatedly disrupted the speech, accusing the ruling party of making false claims and taking credit for works initiated and completed by the previous BRS regime, but failing to deliver their electoral promises.

The Governor, who delivered his address first in Telugu, then in Hindi and English, outlined the government’s vision document Telangana Rising-2047, which aims to transform the State into a $3 trillion economy by 2047, with an interim target of $1 trillion by 2034. He said the State’s GSDP for 2025-26 is estimated at Rs. 17.82 lakh crore with a projected growth rate of 10.7 per cent and per capita income of Rs. 4.18 lakh.

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As the Governor highlighted reforms in agriculture, industry and infrastructure, BRS legislators led by the party deputy floor leader T Harish Rao and working president KT Rama Rao raised slogans, shouting “False” and “Wrong” at several points. The BRS members who entered the House with black badges to mark their protest against non-implementation of the six guarantees by the Congress government, remained on their feet and disrupted the Governor’s speech with protests and slogans.

When the Governor said the government was committed to ensuring that every citizen benefited from development, BRS members objected loudly. They again shouted “False” when the Governor referred to the Telangana Rising-2047 roadmap.

Interruptions continued when the Governor said the government was working with a clear vision, prompting Harish Rao to remark, “No vision, only demolition.” When the speech mentioned plans to shift polluting industries outside the Outer Ring Road, BRS members alleged irregularities, with Harish Rao shouting, “It is a big scam, Saab.”

The Governor also stated that investors had committed proposals worth Rs. 5.7 lakh crore, triggering further protests from the Opposition benches, with BRS members claiming the figures were misleading.

Objections intensified when the address referred to farmer welfare measures, including implementation of Rythu Bharosa and other agriculture initiatives. BRS MLAs and MLCs protested, accusing the Congress government of making announcements without proper execution.

The Opposition also objected when the Governor credited the present government with strengthening healthcare infrastructure, including construction of TIMS hospitals and the Warangal Health City project, stating that these projects were initiated during the previous BRS regime and were pending for the last two years.

Despite repeated disruptions, the Governor continued with the address, which also spoke of the Congress government’s development under the CURE–PURE–RARE model, trifurcation of GHMC, and expansion of infrastructure and welfare schemes under the Praja Palana (People’s Administration).

Throughout the Governor’s address, the Congress members kept beating the benches in a sign of approval. The members of BJP, AIMIM and Left parties were seen listening quietly to the Governor’s address.