BRS members refused to heed the speaker's instructions, insisting on an immediate discussion about the Lagacharla incident. They argued the tourism policy discussion could wait, displaying placards and banners in support of their demand
Published Dec 16, 2024 | 8:57 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 16, 2024 | 8:57 PM
Unruly scenes in Telangana Assembly on Lagacharla incident; speaker adjourns house
Unruly scenes were witnessed in both houses of the Telangana Legislative Assembly and Council on Monday, 16 December with BRS members insisting on a discussion that involved handcuffing of farmers in Lagacharla village in Vikarabad district.
In both the houses, the opposition members raised slogans, denouncing the way the farmers were taken to the hospital in handcuffs in public view. They said that it was the most atrocious action a government could take against farmers.
Several farmers, including a tribal Heerya Naik, were arrested in connection with the violence that broke out on 11 November when officials went to Lagacharla in Vikarabad district to conduct a public hearing for acquiring land for a pharma company. Heerya Naik was brought to hospital for treatment, in handcuffs, after he fell ill. The BRS has been staging protests ever since.
In the Assembly on Monday, 16 December, Speaker G Prasad Kumar had a tough time handling the BRS members as they would not listen to his words of advice to resume their seats. On Several occasions he asked the BRS MLAs, mainly T Harish Rao and Palla Rajeswar Reddy to end their protest and allow the house to go ahead with its listed business. He wanted to know what kind of an example they were setting for the first time MLAs in the house.
The BRS members were in no mood to listen to the speaker. They demanded immediate discussion on the Lagacharla incident and argued that the discussion on Tourism policy could wait. They held out placards and banners, in support of their demand. They raised anti-government slogans. With the BRS members remaining unrelenting and treasury benches averse to any discussion on the issue, the speaker adjourned the House to Tuesday, 17 December.
For a long time, the ruckus created by the BRS did not allow any business to be transacted. They held out placards with pictures of the farmer who was handcuffed. As the BRS members continued their protest inside the House, marshals were kept on stand by in the lobbies. After the speaker adjourned the House, the BRS MLAs sat on the steps leading to the lobbies of the Assembly and kept raising slogans denouncing the state government.
In Telangana Legislative council too, similar protests took place. The BRS members demanded that discussion on tourism policy should be taken up after discussion on Lagacharla incident. The chairman of the council, realising that the BRS members were in no mood to resume their seats, adjourned the House. The members later staged a protest in front of the chamber of the council.
BRS Legislator and party working president KT Rama Rao, speaking to media persons later, arraigned the state government for using third degree on the Lagacharla farmers. “The government threw the farmers belonging to weaker sections into jail for refusing to give their land for a pharma factory,” he said.
The BRS leader further said: “Three farmers of Lagacharla who are in jail are now seriously ill. One of them had suffered a heart attack. He was taken to the hospital handcuffed. Is Kodangal Revanth Reddy’s jageer? (Lagacharla is in the Kondangal assembly segment, from where Revanth Reddy was elected to the Assembly) No matter what you do, we are going to fight on behalf of the farmers,” he said.
The BRS leader slammed the government for not allowing party members into the assembly for wearing T-shirts with Adani-Revanth Reddy pictures. “When we raised the Lagacharla incident, no discussion was allowed. We will continue to expose the government in the Assembly,” he said.
The BRS working president said that there was lawlessness in the state and accused the chief minister’s elder brother of acting as an extra-constitutional authority. The police are threatening those who are posting content against the state government, he said.
Interestingly, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), which takes a call on the number of days the House should run was adjourned without taking any decision. The BRS and MIM legislators staged a walk out from the meeting after it began in the speaker’s chamber.
BRS leader T Harish Rao said that it was not proper for the government to introduce bills when the Opposition was not in the house. He said that no clear indication was given as to how many days the House would run. “We wanted the Assembly to run for 15 days. But the government wants to conclude the sessions in the next three to four days. If that is the case, how can we take up people’s issues?” he asked.
Harish Rao said that he had demanded an answer at the BAC meet, as to why the BRS members were not allowed into the Assembly on the first day when they wore T-shirts with pictures of Adani and Revanth Reddy. He wanted to know what the objection was, at a time when Rahul Gandhi was allowed inside Parliament wearing a T-shirt with Adani’s picture.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
