KTR holds Revanth Reddy responsible for alleged police assault on BRS MLAs

BRS working president KT Rama Rao held Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy responsible for the alleged police assault on BRS legislators at the Assembly. He demanded an unconditional apology, action against police personnel and said the party would approach the Governor.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao held Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy directly responsible for the alleged police assault on BRS legislators, particularly women members, at the Assembly. He demanded an unconditional apology and action against the police personnel involved. He stated that the BRS would approach the Governor and submit a representation on the Congress government’s high-handedness against elected representatives.

Speaking to mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan on Monday, Rama Rao said the alleged pulling of women legislators’ sarees, holding their throats and dragging them by their hair was extremely reprehensible. He questioned whether this was the “Indiramma Rajyam” and “people’s government” promised by the Congress. He demanded that the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, take responsibility for the incident.

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He stated that the ruling Congress prevented BRS MLAs from entering the Assembly because it feared exposure of its 1,000-day failures. He said the Opposition wanted to question the government over its pending 420 guarantees, six guarantees, 13 declarations and other election promises.

The BRS working president targeted Congress Lok Sabha leader Rxahul Gandhi, pointing to Congress MPs and Rahul Gandhi wearing similar T-shirts against Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express their dissent and raising slogans in Parliament. If such protests were permitted in Parliament, he asked why BRS legislators were stopped in Telangana.

Rama Rao said police claimed they were acting on the Speaker’s directions and demanded clarity from the Speaker on whether different rules applied to Rahul Gandhi in Parliament and BRS members in the State Legislature. He urged Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar to shed his partisan approach and maintain impartiality. He said the Chief Minister, despite being the Leader of the House, was also an MLA like other members and had no special privilege to escape the issues raised by the Opposition.

The BRS working president said the Opposition’s responsibility was to question the government on behalf of the people and raise their grievances in the Assembly. Stating that the BRS was only fulfilling its duty, he demanded that the House be conducted for a month to allow detailed discussion on public issues.

Responding to a question, Rama Rao said the BRS had boycotted the Business Advisory Committee meeting in protest against the government’s conduct towards its legislators and women members. He said the party legislators would attend the session and continue raising the issue in the Assembly until an apology was tendered to the women legislators.

He stated that BRS legislators, including himself, BRSLP deputy leader T Harish Rao, former Minister G Jagadish Reddy, Yadav Reddy, Shambipur Raju and Dr K Sanjay, were injured after police pushed, dragged and trampled them during the police action. He condemned the alleged assault on BRS women MLAs V Sunitha Laxma Reddy and P Sabitha Indra Reddy.

“The BRS approached the High Court over the incident. We thank the High Court for directing the police to allow us to attend the session. We also took up the matter with the SC and ST Commission as well as Women and Human Rights Commissions,” he declared. He stated that the party would seek an appointment with the Governor and place before him the alleged assault and the government’s conduct. He warned that the BRS would continue its fight until action was taken against those responsible.

On the alleged remarks made by MLC Tata Madhu, Rama Rao explained that the remarks were not intended at the Speaker and that the BRS MLC regretted, apologised and withdrew his remarks following instructions from BRS chief and Opposition leader K Chandrashekhar Rao. He ridiculed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s remarks criticising the BRS MLC over the alleged remarks, despite himself using unparliamentary and abusive language on the floor of the House.

He also challenged the government to hold a discussion on the Dalit and tribal declarations if it was genuinely committed to social justice, alleging that several promises to Dalits remained unfulfilled.