Kishan Reddy slams Speaker over ‘clean chit’ to defectors

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy strongly criticised the conduct of the Speaker over the issue of party defections, alleging that democracy is being repeatedly undermined under Congress rule in the state.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Kishan Reddy said that granting a “clean chit” to alleged defectors such as Danam Nagender and Kadiyam Srihari amounts to trampling on the verdict given by the people of Telangana.

He alleged that the Speaker’s decision reflects a blatant disregard for democratic values and accused the Congress government of continuing the same practices earlier followed by the BRS government. According to him, there is no difference in the functioning or mindset of the two parties when it comes to defections.

The Union Minister questioned whether publicly available evidence was not sufficient for the Speaker. He pointed out that leaders elected as MLAs on the BRS symbol later changed party allegiance in the presence of the Chief Minister and even contested Lok Sabha elections on Congress B-Forms. He asked why facts that are visible to the general public were allegedly being ignored by the Speaker.

Kishan Reddy stated that the Speaker’s role is among the highest and most responsible constitutional positions and that legitimising defections from such a post would be remembered as a dark chapter in the history of Indian democracy. He accused those entrusted with protecting the Constitution of instead becoming its violators and alleged that constitutional institutions were being held captive by the ruling party.

He further alleged that the Congress party had mocked the people’s mandate by supporting defections driven by personal gain and hunger for power. He termed it unfortunate that the Speaker was, in his view, endorsing such practices.

Drawing parallels with past political developments, Kishan Reddy said that Congress legislators elected on the party’s symbol had earlier served as ministers in the BRS government, while now leaders elected on the BRS symbol were contesting elections on Congress tickets. He alleged that both parties were competing with each other in violating the Anti-Defection Law and betraying the people’s mandate in Telangana.

Warning the ruling party, the Union Minister said that while systems might be manipulated through misuse of power, public anger cannot be managed. He asserted that the people of Telangana are closely watching these developments and cautioned that those who ridicule the Constitution will ultimately face consequences in the democratic arena.