Twenty-two BRS MLAs, including K T Rama Rao and T Harish Rao, were suspended from the Telangana Assembly for the remainder of the monsoon session.
The suspension followed protests over alleged police high-handedness against BRS women MLAs and remarks by Congress leaders concerning KCR.
BRS legislators entered the well and refused to return to their seats despite repeated appeals from the Speaker and ruling party leaders.
Twenty-two BRS legislators were suspended from the Telangana Assembly for the remainder of the monsoon session on Wednesday after they disrupted proceedings by raising slogans and entering the well of the House.
The disruption began soon after the Assembly met, with BRS members shouting “We want justice” and demanding a discussion on alleged police high-handedness against the party’s women MLAs and remarks by some ruling Congress members allegedly wishing death on BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.
BRS Working President K T Rama Rao had moved an adjournment motion seeking a debate on both issues.
BRS Refuses To Return To Seats
The BRS legislators continued their protest despite repeated appeals from Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu to return to their seats.
The Speaker said he would examine whether the BRS members had submitted their demands in writing.
Vikramarka rejected the allegation that Congress leaders had wished death on KCR, saying he and other party leaders had instead wished the former chief minister a healthy and long life and a long career in public service.
He said legislators should raise their concerns from their seats and not resort to “intimidating and aggressive” behaviour inside the House.
The Deputy Chief Minister also referred to media reports that BRS leaders had carried out a “purification” ritual by sprinkling turmeric water near KCR’s farmhouse at Erravelli after Congress workers and Dalit activists held a protest there on September 8.
The protest was against alleged abusive remarks made by BRS MLC Tata Madhusudhan against Speaker Prasad Kumar.
Vikramarka questioned how long the BRS would continue to “insult” Dalits and said the Congress would not accept further humiliation.
KTR, Harish Rao Among 22 Suspended
The suspension motion was moved by Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu and subsequently approved by the Speaker.
Those suspended include K T Rama Rao, T Harish Rao, G Jagadish Reddy, Gangula Kamalakar, Kaushik Reddy, P Sabita Indra Reddy, Vemula Prashant Reddy, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, T Srinivas Yadav, K P Vivekananda, Kova Laxmi and V Sunita Laxmareddy, among others.
The full list of suspended MLAs comprises K T Rama Rao, Anil Jadhav, T Harish Rao, G Jagadish Reddy, Gangula Kamalakar, Kaushik Reddy, Madhavaram Krishna Rao, Kova Laxmi, K Manik Rao, Chinta Prabhakar, Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, Vemula Prashant Reddy, Marri Rajasekhar Reddy, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, P Sabita Indra Reddy, Kalvakuntla Sanjay, T Srinivas Yadav, D Sudheer Reddy, V Sunita Laxmareddy, Kaleru Venkatesh, Vijayudu and K P Vivekananda.
The BRS has 37 members in the 119-member Telangana Assembly, making it the principal Opposition party in the House.
