Hyderabad: The Telangana Assembly witnessed another major political confrontation on Tuesday as 22 BRS MLAs were suspended for the remainder of the ongoing Monsoon Session.
The suspended legislators include prominent BRS leaders K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) and T. Harish Rao. The action came amid continued protests and disruptions by BRS members inside the Assembly.
Why were the BRS MLAs suspended?
- The suspension came amid a heated dispute between the ruling Congress and the BRS over the treatment of BRS women MLAs during a protest outside the Assembly on Monday.
- BRS legislators had protested after police stopped them from entering the Assembly premises while they were wearing black T-shirts carrying slogans against the government.
- The confrontation between police and BRS legislators became tense. BRS leaders alleged that some women MLAs were treated improperly during the incident.
- The Telangana High Court also questioned the police about the way women MLAs were treated during the incident.
Protests continue inside the Assembly
- The issue continued to create tension inside the House on Tuesday.
- BRS members raised the allegations against the police and demanded action. The proceedings were repeatedly disrupted as the opposition and ruling members exchanged arguments.
- The government, meanwhile, defended the action taken against the BRS members and stressed the need to maintain discipline and order inside the Assembly.
KTR and Harish Rao among those suspended
- The suspension of senior BRS leaders KTR and Harish Rao has further intensified the political confrontation between the BRS and the Congress government.
- The suspension means the affected MLAs will not be allowed to participate in the Assembly proceedings for the rest of the current Monsoon Session.
Two BRS MLCs also suspended
- Separately, BRS MLCs Tata Madhusudhan and N. Naveen Kumar Reddy were suspended from the Legislative Council for the remainder of the session.
- The action followed allegations that the two MLCs made derogatory remarks about Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar during the recent confrontation. The Legislative Council adopted the suspension resolution unanimously.
Speaker row adds to political tension
- The controversy over the Speaker has become another major issue in the Assembly.
- The Assembly passed a resolution demanding that BRS chief and Leader of Opposition K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) take responsibility for the conduct of BRS members and apologise to the Speaker.
- BRS, however, has continued to raise questions about the treatment of its legislators and the police action during Monday’s protest.
What happens next?
- With 22 BRS MLAs suspended and two BRS MLCs suspended, the political confrontation between the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS has reached a new level during the Monsoon Session.
- The controversy is expected to remain a major issue in Telangana politics as the Assembly session continues.
