The Telangana Assembly witnessed angry exchanges between the ruling Congress and the main opposition, BRS, after BRS leader KT Rama Rao claimed that Congress leaders were taking 30 per cent commission for awarding government contracts.
KTR’s allegation evoked a strong reaction from Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other Congress members, who demanded that the BRS leader withdraw his remark.
Trouble started during
the debate on the state Budget when KTR asked whether it was not a fact that contractors staged a dharna at the secretariat over being asked to pay 20 per cent commission.
The Deputy Chief Minister dared KTR to prove his allegation or apologise. He also asked BRS Members to be careful about what they say.
Bhatti’s remark triggered strong protests from the BRS. Terming the Deputy CM’s remark as inappropriate, BRS members demanded that he withdraw it and apologise.
There was pandemonium in the House due to protests and sloganeering by opposition members.
Taking exception to Bhatt’s remark, KTR said that treasury benches, especially ministers, should show more restraint.
The House witnessed uproarious scenes with members of both the ruling party and the main opposition standing on their feet and shouting at each other.
The BRS members later staged a walkout. After coming out of the House, they raised slogans in the lobbies, calling the Congress government a ’20-30 percent commission government’. They squatted at the entrance to register their protest.
Later, when BRS members returned to the House, KTR said that he had been a friend of Bhatti for 16 years and respects him like an elder brother.
He made certain comments about Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over his alleged involvement in the cash-for-vote case and reiterated his allegations that Congress leaders are taking commission. It once again caused an uproar in the House.
Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar announced that KTR’s remarks would be deleted from Assembly records. When BRS Members wanted the remarks of Congress member Adi Srinivas deleted, the Speaker said he would examine it and take a decision.
