Hyderabad: The Legislative Assembly was adjourned for the day on Monday following uproar by BRS members, who staged protests demanding an immediate discussion on the handcuffing of a farmer, Hirya Naik, in connection with the Lagcharla land acquisition case and the alleged police atrocities against farmers opposing land acquisition.
Pandemonium broke out shortly after the house resumed from tea break.
Speaker G. Prasad Kumar initiated a short discussion on ‘Telangana State Tourism Policy’, but the BRS legislators disrupted the proceedings by raising slogans and displaying placards against the state government.
Legislative affairs minister D. Sridhar Babu took exception and accused the BRS members of violating rules.
“The government is prepared to respond to any issues raised by the opposition but such disruptions will only waste crucial time of the house,” he said.
Tourism minister Jupally Krishna Rao was highlighting the potential of the new tourism policy in terms of employment creation when the BRS din threw everything asunder. Repeated pleas from the chair to restore decorum and surrender of the placards did not help matters.
The speaker assured BRS member T. Harish Rao an opportunity to speak but expressed dissatisfaction with the behaviour of the opposition benches. Marshals were directed to intervene and confiscate the placards as tensions escalated. Angered at this, BRS members stormed into the well of the house and raised slogans against the government.
Unable to restore order, Prasad Kumar adjourned the house for the day. Following the adjournment, BRS MLAs staged a protest at the Assembly entrance, displaying placards condemning the Congress government and raising slogans against handcuffing a farmer.
Addressing a press conference later, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao criticised the Congress for avoiding a debate on the arrests of farmers during a public hearing at Lagcharla village in Kodangal constituency, represented by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, on November 11.
Meanwhile, Congress whip Adi Srinivas accused the opposition of insincerity and dismissed the BRS protest as a tactic to waste Assembly’s time.
