Telangana Rashtra Samiti isolates TD legislators

Hyderabad: In a game of political one-upmanship, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti successfully isolated Telugu Desam from other Opposition parties in the Assembly on Friday.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and legislative affairs minister T. Harish Rao, backed by the MIM, ensured only Telugu Desam’s 10 MLAs were suspended for stalling the House proceedings while reigning in the Congress and other parties.

It earned the ire of suspended Telugu Desam leaders. “It is crystal clear now that the TRS and the Congress are one. The Telugu Desam is now the only Opposi-tion,” Telugu Desam MLA A. Revanth Reddy said after suspension for the day.

Mr Revanth Reddy said the TRS government deliberately isolated the Telugu Desam and suspended MLAs fighting for farmers’ cause, but spared the Congress. The BJP MLAs, ally of the TD, were not touched.

“Our fight will continue till agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy apologies for his uncharitable comments on farmers’ suicides and government pays compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to kin of the dead,” he said.

In fact, even a Congress MLA was surprised at the CLP leader K. Jana Reddy’s soft stance against the TRS government. “It’s quite embarrassing. Can’t be helped,” said an MLA after the House was adjourned.

Irrigation and legislative affairs minister T. Harish Rao justified the action saying, though the government was prepared to discuss farmers’ suicides, power cuts and other burning issues, the Telugu Desam, fearing their party supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu would be exposed, stalled the proceedings and disallowed smooth discussion.

“They could have participated in the debate and put forth their demands. They deliberately avoided a debate since they will exposed,” he said.

In the House of 119, the Telugu Desam has been left with 13 MLAs. Sathupalli Telugu Desam MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah and Narayanpet MLA S. Rajender Reddy spewed fire on the TRS and the MIM for seeking suspension of the protesting TD MLAs.

“In the past, Harish Rao climbed tables, benches and tore papers during the Governor’s address. Our protest is genuine for farmers’ cause. How can they just suspend us? The TRS is resorting to counter attack instead of addressing public issues,” Mr Veeraiah said.

The TD MLAs said the TRS government was hell bent on wiping out Telugu Desam in Telangana, but they would never succeed. It is unfortunate that the MIM is toeing the government line. Akbaruddin Owaisi backed the suspension of TD members. Mr Owaisi termed Opposition protests as a drama, which is wrong, he added.