Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A full-blown political war erupted in Telangana on Tuesday after police arrested two BRS MLCs over allegedly derogatory remarks against Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar.
The Congress called the remarks an insult to Kumar, a Dalit leader, and demanded an apology from BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao. Congress workers and Dalit activists also marched towards KCR’s farmhouse.
The BRS accused the ruling party of using the controversy to cover up its failures and renewed its allegations of police high-handedness against its women legislators.
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WHAT TRIGGERED THE ROW
The controversy began on Monday after the Speaker’s Officer on Special Duty accused BRS MLCs Thatha Madhusudan and N Naveen Kumar Reddy of making derogatory remarks against him.
The complaint alleged that the two MLCs launched a “malicious, unprovoked and premeditated verbal tirade” targeting the Speaker’s integrity, authority and constitutional conduct.
However, Madhusudan denied making any derogatory remarks and expressed regret if they had hurt the Speaker.
The government also accused BRS leaders of attacking officials and removing their shirts in the presence of women officials.
The BRS countered by alleging that former ministers Sabitha Indra Reddy and Sunitha Lakshma Reddy were surrounded, dragged and manhandled by the police.
TWO BRS MLC ARRESTED
A case was registered against Madhusudan and Reddy at the Saifabad police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Both MLCs were arrested on Tuesday.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy described the alleged remarks as an insult to Telangana’s four crore people.
Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka later met the Speaker and assured him that action would be taken against those responsible.
ASSEMBLY SEEKS KCR APOLOGY
The Telangana Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the alleged remarks and called on KCR to take responsibility for his party members’ conduct and tender an unconditional apology.
The resolution also condemned the two MLCs for allegedly removing their T-shirts in public in the presence of women.
The House decided to forward the resolution to the Legislative Council chairman for appropriate action against the two MLCs.
PROTEST REACHES KCR’S FARMHOUSE
The row then spilled out of the Assembly as Congress workers and Dalit activists marched towards KCR’s farmhouse at Erravelli, accusing the BRS of insulting Dalits.
However, police stopped the protesters before they could reach the farmhouse.
KTR and other BRS leaders left the Assembly for Erravelli but were stopped and taken into preventive custody over possible law and order concerns.
He alleged that police were allowing Congress workers to approach the farmhouse while preventing BRS leaders from reaching it. He also accused the ruling party of trying to attack KCR.
BRS HITS BACK AT CONGRESS
The BRS Working President accused the government of using the Speaker as a shield to divert attention from its failures and silence the Opposition through arrests and police cases.
He demanded an apology from the government over the alleged mistreatment of the two women BRS MLAs.
The former minister also targeted the Congress over its alleged failure to fulfil election promises related to jobs, farm support, unemployment assistance and welfare benefits.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
