Hyderabad: Senior BRS leader T Harish Rao on Thursday said former minister G Jagadish Reddy’s suspension was a dark day in State Assembly’s history. He alleged that the Congress party had ‘cut the throat of democracy in broad daylight.’

Rao said if the Opposition questions the government outside the Assembly, cases and illegal arrests are inevitable; if members question in the Assembly, they are suspended and strangulated. “How can Jagadish Reddy be suspended for pointing out the government failures? While the ministers were trying to obstruct members, Reddy had appealed to the Speaker to control them and bring the House to order. The Opposition is being denied the opportunity to speak on problems of people in the Assembly,” he alleged.

The BRS leader asked Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy to clarify his contradictory stances on critical matters involving parliamentary ethics and member expulsions. The minister claimed a TMC MP’s expulsion from the Lok Sabha took place during his tenure as a member of the Ethics Committee. Rao pointed out that Reddy had previously opposed Moitra’s expulsion, labelling it unjust, unconstitutional, and motivated by personal vendetta and political revenge.

Rao recalled the incident involving expulsion of MLAs Sampath Kumar and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy for allegedly attacking the Governor. Then Reddy had strongly condemned the expulsion, even going to the extent of lodging a complaint with the President. Reddy had accused the State government of political vendetta and openly criticised the Speaker and the CM for undermining democratic norms.

He emphasised that Reddy has conveniently hidden these statements and shifted stance entirely. “How is it possible, Uttam garu, that something you fiercely opposed yesterday has become acceptable to you today? Principles cannot change overnight based on political convenience.” Rao demanded Reddy to clarify his shifting positions.