Telangana Congress demands BRS MLC’s dismissal for abusing Dalit Speaker

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Hyderabad, Sep 7 (IANS) A derogatory and abusive remark made by a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislator against Telangana Assembly Speaker, Gaddam Prasad Kumar, on Monday evoked strong condemnation from the ruling Congress Party which demanded that the legislator be dismissed from the Legislative Council.

The Speaker turned emotional in the Assembly when Minister for Panchayat Raj Seethakka condemned the remarks made by Tata Madhu, a member of Legislative Council from the BRS, during a protest by the main Opposition party outside the Assembly in the morning.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, ministers and MLAs demanded that the BRS MLA be dismissed for insulting a Dalit holding a Constitutional post.

Some ministers said a case under Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act be booked against Tata Madhu.

They also sought an apology from the BRS President and Leader of Opposition, K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).

Seethakka said that KCR did not like a Dalit holding the post of Speaker and called KCR the “ambassador of bad language”.

The BJP, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Communist Party of India (CPI) also condemned the language used by the BRS MLC against the Speaker.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy demanded that Chandrasekhar Rao apologise for his party legislator’s remarks.

He said the MLC should not only apologise but should also resign from his post and also called for dismissing the MLC.

He alleged the BRS acted in a manner that hurt the Speaker’s feelings. He stated that this was not only about Gaddam Prasad Kumar as an individual. “The office of the Speaker is a position of the highest stature. Respecting the Speaker is our tradition. We have a responsibility to uphold the traditions of the House,” he said.

The Chief Minister said some people spoke about the Speaker in a way that made civil society hang its head in shame. Members initiated a discussion on this, viewing it as an insult to the House itself. This is a matter concerning the dignity of the House, he said.

The Chief Minister termed it an insult to the four crore people of Telangana and said that today is a dark day for Telangana.

“Using such inappropriate and abusive language is an unforgivable offence. They spoke in a manner that insulted the Speaker and his family members. This is not just an insult to Dalits; it is an insult to everyone.”

Revanth Reddy slammed KCR saying the BRS harbours an anti-Dalit mindset. He said that after promising to make a Dalit the Chief Minister post the formation of Telangana State and after promising three acres of land and the ‘Dalit Bandhu’ scheme, KCR dismissed a Dalit Deputy Chief Minister.

“In Nerella, Dalits who obstructed sand lorries were run over by the same lorries. When a Dalit was appointed as the Congress CLP leader, they encouraged defections and stripped the party of its status as the official Opposition,” Revanth Reddy said.

Earlier, ministers and Congress MLAs called on Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, to express solidarity with him.

–IANS

ms/rad

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