Bhatti goes on fast-unto-death to protest CLP merger with TRS

Hyderabad: Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Saturday began an indefinite fast in protest against the "illegal" merger of 12 party MLAs with the ruling TRS. Bhatti Vikramarka launched 36-hour hunger strike at the Dharna Chowk here, but it was converted into an indefinite fast.

"When a disqualification petition is pending, it means we have announced that the person concerned does not belong to the Congress party.

Then his Assembly membership should be cancelled," Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said at the protest venue. He said the indefinite fast would continue till the demand raised by the Congress party was met.

He took objection to the Speaker endorsing merger of defected Congress MLAs with the TRS. He said the Speaker did not respond to their phone calls.

He criticised Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for not reacting to the suicide of Intermediate students initially as he was busy engineering defections. Addressing the gathering, AICC in-charge of Congress affairs R C Khuntia alleged that the TRS sought to promote an autocratic regime and "finish" opposition parties in the State through the merger of Congress MLAs.

The merger of the 12 Congress MLAs with TRS is "illegal" and "undemocratic", he alleged. The Congress party respected a Dalit leader (Vikramarka) by making him the leader of its Legislature Party, Khuntia said and asked if Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and TRS did not like a Dalit becoming leader of an Opposition party.

The Congress has decided to go to the High Court and also Supreme Court, if need be, on the issue, besides raising it in Parliament, he said.

Bhatti Vikramarka said he had launched indefinite fast to protest the merger of CLP with the TRS. He said terrorism in any form was dangerous. He said the Chief Minister had been indulging in political terrorism. He called upon the people to fight for the protection of democracy.

TJS president Kodandaram said that his party would extend full support to the Congress in its endeavour.

Former Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy said the Speaker has been acting as a slave to the Chief Minister. He described the day on which the defected MLAs were merged with TRS as "a black day" for the State.

He made it clear that the Speaker has limited powers and his decision to merge the CLP with TRS was illegal. Only the Election Commission has the power to merge a party's legislature wing with the other party.

AICC secretary V Hanumantha Rao said the merger of CLP with the TRS was "a backstab." He said the Chief Minister was afraid of opposition. People would revolt against the Chief Minister soon.

MLA Sridhar Babu said while the people had given power to the TRS to rule, the Chief Minister was purchasing the MLAs of Congress. He said the Congress party would fight against the repressive attitude of the government.