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Dismayed oppn cries foul
The Telangana government appears to be in a combative mood in the Legislature and seems to have adopted “offence-is-the-best-defence” strategy to silence the voice of opposition.
- Opposition says its voice is not being heard in both Houses
- Alleges numerical majority has gone to ruling party’s head
- Ministers seen not even taking Chair’s permission to speak
Hyderabad: The Telangana government appears to be in a combative mood in the Legislature and seems to have adopted “offence-is-the-best-defence” strategy to silence the voice of opposition. Ever since the budget session began on November 5, a new trend is being witnessed in both the Houses of the legislature. Even senior members are expressing dismay over the way the business of the House is being conducted.
Speaking to The Hans India, a few senior members have expressed concern over the government strategy. They think the government “is demonstrating its arrogance,” in view of its numerical majority.
A senior leader quoting a Supreme Court judgment said the ruling party should realise that “Opposition represents voice other than that of the government and hence it should be heard in a democracy.” They say that in the Legislative Council they had seen ministers getting up and speaking even without seeking permission of the Chairman. The general impression among the opposition members, another Member said, is that the presiding officers are not controlling the ministers.
Quoting the practice in Parliament and the previous Assemblies in united Andhra Pradesh, the senior member said that there had been many occasions when the Chairman or the Speaker used to ask the Ministers to sit down and the latter were not allowed to speak without seeking the permission of Chair. When G Narayana Rao was the Speaker, he had shown the courage even to ask the then Chief Minister N T Rama Rao to sit down, he added.
But now as soon as the members start asking a question, the Minister concerned gets into a combative mood against the opposition parties. They only have one stock counter that all the ills the government is facing are because of the “misrule of previous governments.” It does not just stop at that. Other ministers pitch in. A TDP MLA said that the Home Minister on Thursday defended the acrimony in the Legislature, saying that it was not new. During the regimes of YSR and N Chandrababu Naidu, mikes used to be broken every day, the Minister maintained.
Another Member said that the developments that took place on Thursday when the TDP member A Revanth Reddy was suspended indicate that TRS wants to send a message that “If you don’t agree with us, you have no right to speak.”
Congress floor leader D Srinivas wondered if they were in legislature or some other place. He felt the Chair should be more assertive and see that the democratic norms and parliamentary practices were strictly followed. “It is only Harish Rao and K T Rama Rao who take the lead in Assembly and Council for everything. They even go to the extent of calling the members nominated and yet the Chair does not pull them up. But the government insists on apology from a Member and suspends 10 Members for raising issues,” he said.
