Telangana Legislative Assembly Disrupted Amid Manhandling of BRS MLAs by Police

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs, including KT Rama Rao (KTR), Harish Rao and others moved an adjournment motion in the Assembly on Tuesday, September 8, to discuss the manhandling of its leaders outside the Assembly the previous day. KTR submitted a notice under Rule 63 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Telangana Legislative Assembly. He urged a discussion on “the incident where the police not only obstructed BRS Legislative Members who were coming to the Assembly sessions yesterday, but also carried out physical attacks, specifically showing indecent behaviour and physically assaulting women Legislative Members,” the notice reads. BRS leaders later arrived at the Assembly wearing black badges, carrying placards and raising slogans calling Congress’ rule a “Duryodhana government”. Tempers flared outside the Telangana Assembly on Monday, September 7, after police stopped KTR, Harish Rao and several other party legislators from entering the premises for the Monsoon Session, triggering scuffles that left multiple leaders and staff with minor injuries. The BRS leaders arrived at the Assembly wearing black T-shirts printed with slogans such as “Congress failure in implementing guarantees” and “1,000 days of rule are a failure,” marking 1,000 days of the Congress government in the state. Police told them they could not enter wearing T-shirts carrying political messages, setting off jostling and heated arguments at the gate. Women legislators Sunitha Laxma Reddy and Sabitha Reddy were allegedly grabbed by the throat, their sarees torn, their hair pulled and dragged away. Sunitha Reddy was reportedly trampled on the feet. Later in the day the High Court directed the Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) CV Anand to initiate action against police officials who allegedly manhandled Sunitha Laxma Reddy and Sabitha Indra Reddy. The court asked Anand to submit a report on the issue and stated that no MLA should be prevented from entering the Assembly, a constitutional building.