Hyderabad, March 29: Twenty-four members of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have been suspended from the Telangana Assembly for two days due to disruptions in the house proceedings. Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar announced the suspension after a motion presented by Legislative Affairs Minister D. Sridhar Babu was passed by voice vote.
The BRS legislators were obstructing the proceedings while demanding the formation of a ‘House Committee’ to investigate allegations of corruption and illegal mining against Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy.
As the session commenced, BRS members raised the issue and insisted on the establishment of a House Committee. They attempted to present a suspension motion, which the Speaker did not allow. The BRS members then moved to the well of the house and began shouting slogans, causing further disruption.
The government rejected the demand for a House Committee, with ruling Congress party members arguing that a CB-CID inquiry had already been ordered to investigate alleged illegal mining in the state since 2014, making a House Committee unnecessary.
Tensions escalated between BRS and Congress members, particularly following comments made by BRS MLA Kaushik Reddy regarding Kadiyam Srihari, which drew strong objections from the ruling party.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and other ministers accused the BRS of obstructing the proceedings and called for their suspension. The Chief Minister alleged that the BRS was insisting on the formation of a House Committee to blackmail the minister through some of its members.
He urged BRS members to present any evidence they have to the CB-CID. After repeated appeals from the Speaker for cooperation in conducting the proceedings were ignored, the Legislative Affairs Minister proposed the suspension for two days.
Among those suspended were BRS Deputy Leader T. Harish Rao, party working president K.T. Rama Rao, and former ministers T. Srinivas Yadav, Jagdish Reddy, and Gangula Kamalakar.
Later, the suspended BRS legislators protested in the assembly premises, accusing the government of suppressing the opposition’s voice. The assembly’s budget session is set to conclude on March 31.