Hyderabad: Tension prevailed on the opening day of the assembly’s monsoon session on Monday after a scuffle broke out between police and BRS MLAs and MLCs. The legislators had attempted to enter the assembly premises wearing black T-shirts bearing slogans against the Congress govt’s 1,000 days in office and its alleged unfulfilled promises, but police stopped them and took several leaders into custody.During the altercation, BRS working president KT Rama Rao, deputy floor leader T Harish Rao, former ministers G Jagadish Reddy and P Sabitha Indra Reddy, MLA Sunita Laxma Reddy and other legislators sustained minor injuries.Sabitha Indra Reddy alleged that police personnel pulled her hair during the confrontation, while Sunitha Laxma Reddy claimed that women police personnel pulled her saree, and she broke down while describing the incident. BRS leaders claimed that KTR suffered scratches on his hand and face, MLC Yadav Reddy injured his right toe, MLA Rajasekhar Reddy sustained a leg injury, and Sanjay hurt his hand.Condemning the police action, the BRS stated: “Police’s inhuman behaviour towards former minister and MLA Sabitha Indra Reddy at the assembly! The police dragged her away by her hair without considering that she is a woman MLA. Is this the respect the Congress govt gives to women?”After police refused them entry in T-shirts, BRS leaders, including Harish Rao, Bandari Laxma Reddy and Sudhir Reddy, removed their shirts and attempted to enter the assembly wearing banians and trousers. Police took them into custody and shifted them to Telangana Bhavan. The leaders said they would raise the matter with the assembly speaker.Speaking at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao questioned the govt’s actions and described the incident as a black day in Telangana’s history. “Is this a legislative assembly or a Kaurava Sabha? Will you pull the sarees of women MLAs? Will you use the police against elected representatives? Will you grab MLAs by the neck and throw them out? What kind of govt is this? Chief minister, are you running a police state?” he asked.Harish alleged that the govt was preventing the opposition from raising issues such as the six guarantees, 420 promises, pensions, fee reimbursement and the problems faced by farmers, teachers and govt employees. He claimed the Congress govt feared its performance over the past 1,000 days would be scrutinised and had therefore deployed police against BRS members.He further claimed that police personnel pulled Sunitha’s saree, grabbed Sabitha by the throat and pushed Jagadish Reddy to the ground. Warning of action against those responsible, he said the BRS would not remain silent over the treatment meted out to its leaders.Harish also questioned whether the BJP and Congress had entered into a “match-fixing” arrangement to allow only a limited discussion on issues such as GO 22-A and fee reimbursement while keeping the principal opposition party out of the proceedings.He noted that Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi had worn black T-shirts while attending Parliament and questioned why BRS leaders were being prevented from doing the same in Telangana.“We are protesting democratically on behalf of the people. We did not say, as Revanth Reddy did, that there are wrestlers who would beat you up. We are protesting democratically against your failures,” he said, adding that conducting discussions without the principal opposition showed the govt was “running away”.Congress came to power on false promises: KTREarlier, speaking at Gun Park near the assembly, BRS working president KT Rama Rao alleged that the Congress had made 420 promises and claimed they would be fulfilled within 100 days. He said these assurances had even been given in writing on bond papers.“The Congress promised to fulfil these commitments within 100 days, but even after 1,000 days, not a single promise has been fulfilled. That is why KCR directed us to expose the Congress govt during the assembly session. He instructed us to continue questioning the govt on the implementation of its promises to the people, regardless of how the Congress humiliates our party in the House,” KTR said.He said alleged conspiracies by the Congress and BJP against the BRS were nothing new and that the party had faced similar situations in the past.“On behalf of the people of Telangana, we will raise several questions during these assembly sessions. We will ask what happened to the promises and why they have not been implemented. We will also question the introduction of GO 97, which we believe was brought in to benefit real-estate interests,” he said.KTR also demanded that the govt conduct the assembly session for one month to facilitate a discussion on all major public issues.
