Two Congress members were expelled from the Telangana Legislative Assembly and 11 more were suspended for the rest of the ongoing budget session on Tuesday.
As the House assembled for the day, Legislative Affairs Minister T. Harish Rao moved a motion seeking the expulsion of Congress legislators K. Venkat Reddy and S.A. Sampath Kumar holding them responsible for the “unruly” incidents in the House on Monday.
Legislative Council Chairman K. Swamy Goud suffered an injury when Mr. Venkat Reddy flung the headphones at him during the address of Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to the joint sitting of the legislature.
Opposition leader K. Jana Reddy and senior MLAs J. Geetha Reddy, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, G. Chinna Reddy, D.K. Aruna and T. Jeevan Reddy were suspended for the rest of the session.
The House passed the resolution moved by Mr. Harish Rao by a voice vote and the members were asked to leave the House.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao welcomed the Chair’s action and asserted that the House would not backtrack on taking tough decisions if the members behaved against the dignity and decorum of the House. “Though the decision was painful, it was necessitated as the Congress members came pre-determined to the House to create ruckus,” he said.
The Government had prior intimation about the Congress members’ move. “They (Congress members) went on record saying their target was the Governor. This reflects their impatience,” he said adding this was the height of the unruly behaviour by the main opposition members.
Recalling how the Congress was spreading falsehood since the inception of his government in 2014, the Chief Minister said they were unable to digest the fact that people reposed confidence in the ruling party in a series of bypolls held after the TRS Government took over. “My government is clear on holding debates come what may. But the Congress members crossed the limits,” he said.
The Chief Minister justified the expulsion and suspension of the members claiming that a clear message had to be sent outside. “We are definitely right,” he said. MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi supported the Chair’s decision, but wanted the ruling party to reconsider the suspension of Opposition leader K. Jana Reddy as he did not appear to have taken part in the unruly incidents.
In fact, Mr. Jana Reddy failed to control his members. BJP member G. Kishan Reddy also wanted the Chair to reconsider suspension of the Opposition leader.
