Telangana Assembly. File
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
The Telangana Legislative Assembly passed the Appropriation Bill on Wednesday amid protests by members of the main Opposition, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), who demanded an apology from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for his remarks against BRS women MLAs.
Despite the pandemonium, Speaker Prasad Kumar asked Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to move the Appropriation Bill, which was passed by voice vote within a few minutes after the move.
Except for MLA Gaddam Vivekanand from the ruling Congress, no member of the House, including the leaders of the legislature parties of BJP, AIMIM, and CPI, spoke on the Bill. Although AIMIM legislature party leader Akbaruddin Owaisi requested to be allowed to speak, the Speaker announced the Bill’s passage.
As soon as the House reassembled in the afternoon, the BRS MLAs urged the Speaker to give the mike to Ms.. Sabitha Indra Reddy to clarify as the Chief Minister referred to her name. They trooped into the well and raised slogans against the Chief Minister. The Speaker urged them to occupy their seats and said that he would allow her to speak after BJP’s Maheshwar Reddy spoke. But the BRS members did not relent. Even as Mr. Maheshwar Reddy started to speak, the BRS members requested him to wait for some time.
AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi appealed to the Speaker to allow a few minutes for Ms. Sabitha Indra Reddy so that other parties could also speak. Panchayat Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya accused the BRS members of unnecessarily disrupting the House, asserting that the Chief Minister had not mentioned Ms. Sabitha Indra Reddy by name
The Speaker then asked Congress MLA Gaddam Vivekanand to speak, who continued his speech amidst the slogan shouting. However, the BRS members intensified their protest, with Ms. Sabitha Indra Reddy, Sunitha Laxma Reddy, and Kova Laxmi squatting on the floor and raising slogans. Even as the slogans intensified, the Speaker asked Mr. Vikramarka to move the Bill and announced that it was passed through a voice vote. He then adjourned the House to meet again on Thursday.
Earlier, Marshals, both the men and women, were deployed inside the House, forming a barrier in front of the Speaker’s podium to prevent agitating members from approaching him. It was expected that the BRS members would be lifted out, but the Speaker did not take any action.
