Telangana political slugfest : CM orders probe, both parties move Governor

Accusing BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao of hatching a conspiracy to disrupt Assembly proceedings, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday announced a comprehensive investigation into the alleged derogatory remarks against Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar by BRS MLCs and other related incidents.

The political slugfest between the Congress and BRS during the ongoing monsoon session of the assembly deepened as the two parties complained to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla against each other, and as many as 22 BRS MLAs were suspended from the House.

Launching a blistering attack on KCR in the assembly, Reddy said a purification programme was allegedly carried out by BRS supporters near the former CM's farmhouse where Congress workers and Dalit activists held a protest on September 8 over the 'abusive' remarks against the Speaker, who is a Dalit leader.

A probe will be conducted into this issue, he said.

The CM alleged that KCR made a conspiracy in the meeting of party MLAs and MLCs held in his farmhouse on September 6 to disrupt the Assembly proceedings for fear of getting exposed over his alleged misrule during 2014 to December, 2023.

The BRS MLAs and MLCs, provoked by KCR, turned like "maniacs" and "attacked government employees and police" at the Assembly gate on September 7 when police stopped them, and also made derogatory remarks against the Speaker, he alleged.

He said there is no difference between terrorists who carried out the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Pulwama and parliament terror attacks and the BRS leaders who allegedly used abusive language against the Speaker.

"There are several ways in which they could have expressed their protest. However, the maniac gang spoke as per the orders of their leader to hurt your (Speaker) feelings," he said.

Despite differences in political ideologies, the BJP, CPI and AIMIM favoured KCR apologising to the Speaker, he said.

Telangana society will purify the alleged feudal arrogance of KCR's family. "... purification of land where Dalits walked shows the filth, conspiracies and how they are encouraging differences (in society). What needs to be purified is not where the Dalit brothers walked. The arrogant thoughts of untouchability in the hearts of KCR and his family should be purified," he said.

Quoting a social media post, Reddy claimed that KCR "himself turned a maniac and gave orders as per farmhouse conspiracy" to conduct a purification with turmeric water on the land where Dalits walked on September 8.

He claimed that a "social boycott" should be imposed on KCR's family to make them understand the pain of discrimination.

The CM said the government would not be "inactive" towards the alleged untouchability, discrimination, and purification.

The government has decided to punish, as per law, those who insulted the Speaker's Chair and also the Dalit communities over the reported purification programme, he said.

Citing provisions of BNS and SCs and STs (Prevention of Atrocities Act), he said the government has decided to order a probe into those "who made conspiracies and implemented them".

Reddy said Hyderabad Joint Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar would supervise the probe.

The government would investigate the "conspiracy at the farmhouse," and all related incidents and complaints on the matter, he added.

The "derogatory" remarks of BRS members came at a time when the Congress is fighting for action against those who held a purification programme in Uttarakhand where AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a rally, he said.

Earlier in the day, 22 BRS MLAs, including party working president K T Rama Rao, were suspended from the Assembly for the remainder of the monsoon session for disrupting the proceedings by entering the well of the House.

Rama Rao gave an adjournment motion seeking debate on the alleged high-handedness of police against the party's women MLAs, who were stopped at the assembly gate, and the alleged comments of some ruling Congress members wishing death of KCR.

The Speaker said he will examine if the BRS members submitted their demands in writing to him, while Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said he and other Congress leaders wished Chandrasekhar Rao a healthy and long life.

Countering allegations that Congress members wished for KCR's death, state Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud said CM Reddy had consoled the former when he was admitted to the hospital in the past.

Meanwhile, BRS petitioned Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla over the alleged police high-handedness against its party MLAs, including women members, and the alleged comments made by a ruling Congress MLA against KCR.

Later in the day, Congress MLAs and MLCs, led by the Deputy CM, submitted a memorandum to the Governor seeking his intervention as the highest custodian of the Constitution in the state "to protect the dignity, safety and self-respect of Dalits...", a Congress release said.

During the day, Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy referred the assembly's resolution on September 8 seeking appropriate action against BRS MLCs Tata Madhusudhan and Naveen Kumar Reddy, who allegedly made derogatory comments against the Speaker, to the ethics committee of the House.

The BJP members staged a walkout from the assembly to protest the government's failure to take up debate on pending dues under the tuition fees reimbursement scheme and the inclusion of poor people's lands in a prohibitive list under Section 22A of the Registration Act.