Speaker assures BRS of action on issue of Danam’s disqualification

Hyderabad: The issue of disqualification of BRS legislator Danam Nagender hangs in balance as Speaker Gaddam Prasad has assured to look into it, even as party leaders claimed that he is bound to take a decision within three months.

The BRS legislators reached the Speaker’s residence on Monday with the disqualification petition against Nagender who has joined the Congress. They said the Speaker has assured them to look into he issue.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy said they had come with a demand to disqualify Nagender. He said the Speaker has to take a decision as per the Anti-Defection Law respecting the Constitution. ‘Action against Nagender was inevitable within three months as per the judgment of the Supreme Court. It is not proper to join another party after winning from a different party’.

“In the past CM Revanth Reddy had asked people to stone to death leaders who defect. He had also termed Danam as ‘beedi seller’; now he has joined him in the party. Is that for selling beedies?” quipped Reddy.

Responding to CM’s comments of opening gates, he said the CM had given them one blow and the BRS would also give them one. Think what will be the situation when the BRS gets the opportunity to open the gates, he quipped.

Party senior leader B Vinod Kumar said Nagender can’t escape disqualification. After the judgement of the Supreme Court, there is no situation where the Speaker can delay the decision on a disqualification petition. ‘The SC has given orders to the Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly to take a decision on the disqualification of Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde Group within three months. Now the Speaker cannot delay or postpone the decision with a time frame being brought into effect. The day on which Nagender wore ‘khandua’, he lost his membership, he said.

Kumar said the Anti-Defection Law was brought when Rajiv Gandhi was the PM. The Speaker has to take decisions and respect the Constitution. The Congress leaders should not promote defections if they had any respect towards Rajiv Gandhi.

Replying to a question, Kumar said the Pratima Multiplex management would answer on the money being seized. “How can they question me when the multiplex is owned by my relatives,” he queried.