BRS women MLAs demand CM apology over assault after Speaker refuses to meet

BRS women legislators P Sabitha Indra Reddy, V Sunitha Laxma Reddy and Kova Lakshmi alleged that male police personnel manhandled them during Monday’s Assembly confrontation. They demanded an apology from Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and sought an opportunity to explain their grievances.

Hyderabad: BRS women legislators P Sabitha Indra Reddy, V Sunitha Laxma Reddy and Kova Lakshmi on Wednesday alleged that they were subjected to humiliation and rough handling by male police personnel on the Assembly premises, during the confrontation on Monday. They demanded that the Chief Minister apologise for insulting them and causing mental agony over last three days.

The women MLAs sought an opportunity to meet Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar and explain their grievances, but were denied.

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Speaking to the media in the Assembly lobby after the suspension of BRS members, the BRS women legislators said they were left distressed after police allegedly dragged them by hair, saree and physically assaulting them during the confrontation on Monday. They stated that they could have fell and suffered severe injuries, had BRS legislators D Sudheer Reddy and Naveen Kumar Reddy not supported them.

“Male police personnel were deliberately deployed around women legislators, while women police personnel were placed around BRS leaders T Harish Rao and KT Rama Rao. This is unfortunate and shameful politics of the Congress,” said Sabitha Indra Reddy.

The BRS MLAs said the government was willing to speak about a woman constable complaining against their party MLAs, but not willing to discuss the assault on them or at least allow them to express their grievances in the House. They also questioned Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s remarks on Dalit self-respect, asking whether women’s self-respect was not Telangana’s self-respect.

The MLAs said BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao had immediately expressed concern over the incident. However, they found fault with fellow women legislators from the ruling Congress, including Minister D Seethakka, for not speaking up in their support.