Telangana HC Examines BRS MLAs’ Disqualification Plea

 Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday heard arguments in the writ petitions filed by BRS MLAs seeking directions to the Speaker to Tellam Venkat RaoTellam Venkat Rao and Kadiam Srihari for defecting to the Congress.

A. Sudershan Reddy, Advocate General, arguing before Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, said that courts even in jest could not ask the Speaker, a Constitutional authority, on the action taken on disqualification petitions. The AG said that senior counsels representing the BRS, who were now insisting upon court orders, were absent when the BRS poached Congress MLAs and writ petitions were filed in the High Court seeking a direction to the Speaker to disqualify them.

Counsels J. Ramchander Rao, former additional advocate general in the BRS government, and Gandra Mohan Rao, argued that the Advocate General was unnecessarily prolonging arguments.

Justice Vijaysen Reddy, turning towards the AG, said: “I can direct the secretary, Legislative Assembly, to inform this court as to what is the action taken by the Speaker… I am only asking what is the itinerary of the Speaker in this regard.”

The Advocate General disagreed and submitted a few case laws.

B. Mayur Reddy, senior counsel, representing the Speaker’s office, argued that courts could not direct the Speaker to take a decision on the disqualification petitions. Senior counsel Sri Raghuram argued that the petitioners BRS MLAs Padi Kaushik Reddy and K.P. Vivekanand, had approached the High Court seeking directions to the Speaker within ten days of filing their petitions before the Speaker.