As the second day of the monsoon session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly unfolded amid escalating tensions, a resolution was passed asserting that K Chandrashekar Rao, the Leader of the Opposition, must take responsibility for the inappropriate behavior exhibited by members of his party.
The resolution further demanded that Rao issue an unconditional apology to the Speaker to uphold the institutional integrity and decorum of the Assembly.
This decision followed an emotional moment for Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, who was reportedly seen in tears due to derogatory comments made in the House.
Earlier that day, the Speaker remarked that a report regarding alleged police misconduct towards women MLAs from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) would be presented to the Assembly soon, while also expressing his own feelings of insult directed at him and his mother.
The motion against K Chandrashekar Rao was introduced by Damodar Raja Narasimha, the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, during the evening session.
In related developments, two BRS Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs), Tata Madhusudan, known as Tata Madhu, and Naveen Kumar Reddy, were detained by Telangana police earlier in the day for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Speaker Kumar. They were subsequently released on personal surety later that day.
Both MLCs faced suspension for the remainder of the current session in the Legislative Council, a motion of which was put forth by Minister D Sridhar Babu.
This action followed a resolution in the Assembly asserting that, as MLCs, copies of the resolution along with a notice of privilege breach issued by members should be submitted for the consideration of the Chairman of the Telangana Legislative Council.
The two MLCs were charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act late Monday night after complaints were filed regarding their remarks against the Speaker, who belongs to the Dalit community.
The arrests occurred following a day marked by significant protests in the Assembly, where altercations between police and BRS MLAs took place as they donned black clothing to protest against the A Revanth Reddy government. Reports suggest that Madhusudan used abusive language toward the Speaker amid the fracas.
Several Dalit Congress MLAs and MLCs alleged that Madhusudan made inappropriate comments towards Speaker Kumar when police restricted opposition legislators outside the assembly premises.
The session on Tuesday commenced with BRS MLAs claiming that the police action from the previous day had endangered their women legislators. BRS leader T Harish Rao accused the government of targeting women MLAs. In response, the Speaker reiterated that a report on the police actions would soon be presented, questioning, “But what about the insult to me and my mother?”
The House subsequently expressed its “strongest condemnation and profound disapproval” of the offensive and un-parliamentary remarks attributed to Madhusudan and Kumar Reddy.
Furthermore, the House unequivocally condemned the indecent conduct of the two members, specifically citing their removal of T-shirts in public before women, which was deemed highly objectionable and an affront to the modesty of those present.
The resolution articulated that such behavior is entirely inappropriate for a Member of the Legislative Council and severely undermines the dignity and constitutional authority of the Speaker, as well as the integrity of the Telangana Legislative Assembly.
The resolution concluded by stating that no political disagreement or personal grievances could justify actions intended to diminish the dignity and authority of the Presiding Officer or disrupt the orderly functioning of the Legislative Assembly.
