Sister sentiment rocks Assembly

• CM Revanth Reddy asks KTR to be cautious with the sisters (Akkalu) behind him
• He said that if KTR believes them, his and the party men’s lives will be miserable (using the Telugu phrase ‘batuku bus stand’)
• BRS members rush into the Well of the House and raise slogans

Hyderabad: Sister sentiment rocked the state Assembly on Wednesday.

The sentiment cropped up during a discussion on the appropriation bill when Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said that KTR says that the BRS would cooperate with the government but how can one believe him when the leader of the opposition himself does not attend the Assembly. He cautioned KTR saying, “If you believe the Akkas sitting behind you your life will become Jubilee Hills bus stand.”

This triggered a furore in the Assembly and the Speaker had to adjourn the house amidst pandemonium, as BRS members trooped into the well demanding apology from the Chief Minister.

In fact, the CM had made an indirect reference to BRS women MLAs saying that when in Congress they had enjoyed very good positions but later ditched the party and joined BRS for the sake of posts. He was referring to the former Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy and Sunita Laxma Reddy.

BRS members rushed into the Well of the House and raised slogans. They also demanded the Chief Minister to withdraw the comments.

In response, Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu said that the Chief Minister had not taken anyone’s name, and asked who had joined TRS from Congress in the past? They were ministers for ten years and when Congress was criticised, they were flapping the benches, he said.

Sabitha Indra Reddy said that she had blessed Revanth Reddy when he came into the party and said he would have a good future. She asked what injustice she had done to Revanth Reddy. Where did the Chief Minister Revanth Reddy come from? “CM had said he will not take MLAs from BRS but how many are there in his camp now? I congratulated him when he came into the party. Don’t know why he is holding a grudge on me now as he has been targeting me in every Assembly session,” said Sabitha Indra Reddy.

Responding to this, Revanth Reddy said that being in public life, there will be discussion on individuals. “It is a fact that Sabitha Indra Reddy blessed me when I joined Congress. I treated Sabitha as my sister, but when I was declared Malkajgiri Lok Sabha candidate, she immediately joined TRS believing the delusive words of KCR and became minister. Hence, I said, don’t believe the words of Akka,” said Revanth Reddy.

The Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that the Congress party gave ticket to Sabitha in 2014 and also in 2009. She was a minister for ten years. I was a CLP leader and Leader of Opposition (LOP). A Dalit was made the LOP for the first time. When she (Sabitha) was leaving the party, I told her that we will lose the LoP if she leaves and asked her to give another thought. Did she give a thought for once?” asked Bhatti Vikramarka.

Panchayati Raj Minister Seethakka said that the two ladies told the Chief Minister that they will come into the party. The CM experienced the pain that these women gave. “They said we will come to Delhi and also took the appointment of senior leader Rahul Gandhi and skipped it at the last minute. The CM faced embarrassment and hence he wanted to caution KTR. He has not taken any name,” said Seethakka. She also took exception to Sabitha Indra Reddy giving a memorandum to the Governor seeking disqualification of the party MLAs who have joined Congress party. Didn’t the BRS poach the Congress MLAs in the past, she asked.

After the House was adjourned, Sabitha Indra Reddy broke down while talking to reporters at the Media Point. She said she did not leave Congress but was shunted out of the party. She said the CM made uncharitable remarks and ran away from the Assembly like a thief.

She said that the Congress leaders had no right to question their decision to change the party. She recalled that she had worked for the party even though she was not given a ticket in 2014.

Late YS Rajasekhar Reddy brought her into politics. But the present Congress government was not allowing to speak in the House. But the CM in a chit chat later said that who should speak from their party is to be decided by the BRS floor leader. She should blame them if they don’t allow the women to speak.

Condemning the remarks of Revanth, KTR said the CM’s comments were an insult to the entire womenfolk of Telangana. He perhaps feels that if one believes the women their life would become miserable. Revanth, he said, was unfit to be CM. He said they would not give up their protests till CM offers an apology.

The party has called for burning of effigies of the Chief Minister in the state on Thursday. Revanth said he did not name anyone and does not know why Sabitha Akka had reacted violently. He hoped that the BRS will not create nuisance in the Assembly and force them to take action against them. Congress is opposed to suspending any member, he added.