Congress Boycotts Telangana Assembly Session Again

October 31, 2017 17:29

(Image source from: Gulte.com)

Congress Boycotts Telangana Assembly Session Again:- The Congress Legislative Party stayed away from the Assembly proceedings, for the third consecutive day on Tuesday.

After declaring that it was staging a walk out with just four members at the beginning of the session, the Opposition was in two minds. But, they went through the motion and alleged that to raise issues pertaining to public interest through an adjournment motion on Group-1 exam results, they were denied an opportunity. For the entire day, the Congress boycotted the Assembly proceedings later.

For disrupting Question Hour and denying an opportunity to fellow legislators from raising public issues, Irrigation and Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao found fault with the senior Congress leader. The Assembly has 119 MLAs and as per the whims and fancies of 10-15 legislators, it cannot be allowed to function.

Before taking up adjournment motions, AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi and BJP floor leader G Kishan Reddy too threw their weight behind the Speaker’s decision to hold Question Hour.

The Assembly Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary was urged by Opposition leader K Jana Reddy, immediately after the session started, to take a decision on adjournment motion. The latter refused stating that only after conducting Question Hour as decided in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, he would take a decision. The Opposition carried a 20 minute-long drama, disrupting the Question Hour and ended with them staging a walk out.

To discuss public issues, the ruling TRS was denying the Opposition party an opportunity, alleged Jana Reddy. Though they had agreed earlier to going through the Question Hour before taking up adjournment motions, they now wanted the Speaker to give priority to the latter considering pressing issues, he admitted.

Jana Reddy announced that they were staging a walk out, despite having just four Congress legislators in the beginning of the Question Hour. Jana Reddy returned to his seat, as other Congress legislators started entering the House. He stated that he was holding his decision and sought clarification from the Chair if there would be a BAC meeting for revising the procedure allowing adjournment motions before the Question Hour.

(Video Source: NTV Telugu)

BJP floor leader G Kishan Reddy attempts to calm down Congress legislator Sampath Kumar earlier turned vain. He stated that before taking up adjournment motions, majority of the political parties had agreed to hold Question Hour and to decide on the adjournment motions, it was the discretion of the Speaker.

Even as the members broke into laughter, Jana Reddy was being misguided by his own party members, said Owaisi. His party legislators stayed back in the House and participated in the proceedings, after Jana Reddy staged a walk out on Monday, pointed out Owaisi.

“The Opposition party was never against conducting Question Hour before adjournment motions during previous sessions. Now they have changed their stand. What is the point of holding Question Hour if it is to be disrupted? Let there be a BAC meeting to discuss on how to conduct the proceedings. Until then, the Speaker’s decision should be honoured,” he said.

The Opposition members walked out of the House, with Speaker Madhusudhana Chary asserting that he would hold Question Hour as decided earlier.