Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad broke down in tears in the House on Tuesday while referring to alleged derogatory remarks made by BRS MLC Tata Madhu about his late mother. Minister Seethakka condemned the remarks in the Assembly, while Chief Minister Revanth Reddy called the incident a “black day” for Telangana and said it was an insult to the state’s nearly 4 crore people.
Minister Seethakka opposed the alleged remarks by MLC Tata Madhu in the Assembly. Seethakka also became emotional and had tears in her eyes. Speaker Gaddam Prasad said he was deeply hurt by the incident and that tears came to his eyes unintentionally after seeing her emotional.
Prasad said Tata Madhu’s remarks were painful. He also referred to his personal relationship with Seethakka, saying that she had been tying a Rakhi to him for the past five years.
Gaddam Prasad said a resolution would be passed in the Assembly over Tata Madhu’s remarks and sent to the Legislative Council.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy condemned the alleged insult to the Speaker in the Assembly. He said the incident was a “black day” for Telangana and an insult to the state’s 4 crore people.
Revanth Reddy alleged that during a meeting of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Legislature Party, its leaders provoked the concerned leader to behave in this manner and sent him to the Assembly. The Chief Minister also alleged that the police arrangements in the Assembly premises were attacked, following which inappropriate language was used against the Speaker.
The Chief Minister said the Speaker’s position is equal to that of all members of the Assembly. According to him, after a person assumes the position of Speaker, they should receive the same respect as all members of the House.
Revanth Reddy said the incident should be viewed as an insult to Dalits and tribals. However, he said it should not be limited to any one community and described it as an insult to society as a whole.
The Congress alleged that BRS MLC Tata Madhu used objectionable language against Dalit leader Gaddam Prasad, who holds a constitutional position. The party condemned the alleged remarks and linked the issue to the dignity of the Assembly.
Tata Madhu, on the other hand, denied making any such remarks. Rejecting the allegations, he said he had not made any derogatory statement about the Speaker’s late mother.
Amid the allegations and denial, political tensions between the two parties increased in the Assembly. The ruling Congress described the alleged remarks as a serious issue, while the BRS did not accept the allegations.
As the controversy escalated, BRS MLC Tata Madhu was arrested by Saifabad police on Tuesday. The political dispute intensified following the arrest, and the BRS also staged a protest outside the Assembly.
A large number of BRS workers and police personnel gathered outside the Assembly premises, affecting traffic. During the protest, a traffic jam continued for around 30 to 40 minutes.
BRS leaders and police also engaged in pushing and shoving during the protest. Images that emerged showed police personnel pushing BRS leaders back.
BRS workers protesting outside the Assembly wore T-shirts carrying slogans against the Congress government. The messages included “Congress failure to implement guarantees” and “1000 days of governance failed.”
Along with the Speaker controversy, the BRS also raised questions about the Congress government’s electoral promises and governance. Party leaders alleged that Congress had failed to fulfil the promises it made to the public before coming to power.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR), speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, targeted the Congress government. He alleged that Congress came to power on the basis of careless and false promises and deceived various sections of society.
KTR claimed that Congress had made a total of 420 promises and assured that they would be implemented within 100 days. According to him, these promises were also presented before the public in the form of a bond paper.
The BRS leader alleged that even after 1000 days of the Congress government, not a single promise had been fulfilled. He demanded that the government respond to its electoral promises.
However, the Congress has not issued a separate response to these allegations in connection with the developments.
The political confrontation in Telangana has intensified following Speaker Gaddam Prasad becoming emotional and the arrest of Tata Madhu. Congress has condemned the alleged objectionable remarks by linking them to the dignity of the Assembly and the constitutional position of the Speaker, while the BRS has rejected the allegations concerning the remarks and accused the government of failing to fulfil its electoral promises.
The incident has developed into political exchanges inside the Assembly as well as protests outside the House. Speaker Gaddam Prasad’s announcement that a resolution would be passed and sent to the Legislative Council sets the course for further action in the matter.
The developments come amid continuing political allegations and counter-allegations between the ruling Congress and opposition BRS in Telangana. The alleged remarks against the Speaker, the arrest of the MLC and the subsequent protests have created a new political dispute in the state.
