Accusing the ruling TRS of encouraging defections in opposition groups, the Congress party stalled the proceedings of State Legislative Assembly on Monday.
The Assembly could not take up any regular business as the uproar created by the Congress members led to the brief adjournment of the House twice and later for the day. As soon as the House assembly on Monday, Congress deputy floor leader T Jeevan Reddy and others moved an adjournment motion seeking debate on defections. Wearing black badges, the Congress MLAs rushed to the podium and shouted slogans against the TRS Government while accusing it of killing democracy. Speaker S Madhusudan Chary made futile attempts to calm down the agitation Congress legislators. Later, he adjourned the House for 10 minutes.
Similar uproarious scenes were witnessed when the House reassembled at 10.56 AM. However, the Speaker was forced adjourn the same for half-an-hour at about 11.01 AM. The House against met at 12.22 PM, but it could not do listed business due to the continued protest by the Congress MLAs. The Speaker then adjourned the House for the day at 12.31 PM.
While the Congress MLAs’ protest was on, Panchayat Raj Minister K Tarakarama ridiculed their objection to joining of their party’s MLAs in TRS. He reminded that as many as 10 TRS MLAs were lured by the then ruling party Congress from 2004 to 2009. He said the disqualification petition was kept pending for about four-and-a-half years. Refuting the allegations of TRS encouraging defections, he claimed that the MLAs themselves were joining the ruling party due to the developmental programmes taken by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. He claimed that history was repeating itself.
Similar views were expressed by Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao who accused the Congress of giving birth to the culture of encouraging defections in opposition parties. He listed out the instances wherein Congress lured the MLA and MPs of opposition parties. He said Ramlal was used to break TDP led by late N T Rama Rao. PV Narasimhrao has been accused of damaging the opposition groups. Similarly, three MPs from the State defected to Congress during vote in the Parliament on US deal. Even Vijayashanti was encouraged to defect from TRS to Congress, he alleged.
Harish Rao said that the Congress has violated the decision taken during BAC meeting of taking up adjournment motions after the Question Hour. By stalling the House, the Congress is trying to escape from debating the public issues. He said that the TRS Government was ready to give reply on all issues if the opposition raise them through proper channel. (INN)