Ruckus in Telangana house; council chairman injured as Cong MLA throws headphone

Telangana legislative council chairman K Swamy Goud suffered injuries on his right eye on Monday when a protesting Congress MLA, K V Reddy, threw a headphone at the speaker’s podium during governor E S L Narasimhan’s address to the joint session of the state legislature.

Reddy and other Congress MLAs were protesting the K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR)-led Telangana government’s indifferent attitude towards rising farmer suicides in the state. The incident took place as the governor began his address to the joint sitting of assembly and the legislative council at the beginning of the budget session.

While BJP leaders boycotted the governor’s address, Congress members began shouting and rushing to the podium, but were prevented by assembly marshals.

The agitated Congress MLAs then tore copies of the governor’s speech into pieces and threw them at the podium.

K V Reddy, who represents Nalgonda assembly constituency, threw his headphone at the podium, but it missed the governor and hit the legislative council chairman, Goud on his face, causing bleeding just below his right eye.

Goud was immediately taken out of the house and after first aid at the assembly clinic, he was rushed to Sarojini Devi Memorial Eye Hospital. The doctors, who conducted a CT scan of his face, ruled out serious injury to his eye but are learnt to have suggested that he be under observation for 24 hours.

Even as the ruckus continued in the house, the governor quickly completed his speech and left the hall.

Minister for legislative affairs, T Harish Rao strongly condemned the “unruly behaviour” of Congress members. “This is totally uncalled for by the opposition members. They came to the House pre-planned to create disturbances. What would have happened if the headphone hit the governor, causing him injuries?” he asked.

Congress MLAs protest during Telangana governor ESL Narasimhan’s address to the joint session of legislative assembly and legislative council. (ANI/Twitter)

He said the authorities of the assembly have been directed to go through the records of the proceedings and submit a report. “We shall take appropriate action against the MLA and his colleagues for violating assembly rules,” Rao said.

TRS chief whip in the legislative council, P Rajeshwar Reddy alleged that the Congress MLAs came to the assembly in “inebriated condition” with a “malicious intention to attack the ruling party members”.

K V Reddy, however, defended his action saying he had thrown the headphone unintentionally in a fit of anger when the ruling party tried to prevent them from protesting in a peaceful and democratic manner by “bringing in hundreds of marshals into the house”.

Reddy said the government was trying to make him a scapegoat, and threatened that to take the fight to the people, if suspended.

TRS president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who addressed party MLAs on Sunday, had hinted at stern action against opposition members if they tried to disrupt the governor’s address.

The governor, in his address, said Telangana, the youngest state of the Indian Union, had become a role model for the entire country. The state has won several laurels in the country and the world for its pro-poor initiatives, such as Mission Kakatiya, Mission Bhagiratha, round-the-clock free power supply to agriculture and other developmental programmes.

He also detailed the steps taken by the government to improve agriculture sector, fisheries, horticulture, sheep distribution programme and the successful undertaking of the land records updation.