Kodanda throws weight behind expelled MLAs

Hyderabad: The Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) Chairman M Kodandaram on Thursday demanded the government to review the decision of expulsion of two Congress members from the Assembly.

Kodandaram, who called on expelled MLAs Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and SA Sampath Kumar at their hunger strike camp in Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday, extended JAC support to the agitating duo.

Addressing a gathering, the JAC chief said the procedure being adopted to expel the members was not proper and it was without the recommendations of the Ethics Committee, to which the issue should have been referred to.

He said the Assembly should follow the democratic norms and reminded that how Andhra Pradesh Assembly took action against an MLA after considering the recommendations of the Ethics Committee.
“How TRS will react if its Members of Parliament are expelled from the House as they too are making similar protests,” he sought to know.

Meanwhile, the Congress MLAs who took up 48-hour hunger strike, ended their stir on Thursday by having a lemonade from the hands of PCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly K Jana Reddy and former minister J Geetha Reddy.

Speaking on the occasion, Komatireddy vowed to fight TRS till the end of his life. He alleged that the taskforce police who were deployed in the Assembly had pushed the Congress MLAs raising farmers’ issues.

“The Chief Minister was angry with me for announcing to contest from Gajwel. Only four to five families of the State have been benefitted post the formation of separate state,” he alleged, adding that he would never visit Gandhi Bhavan if he loses Nalgonda by-election.

Echoing a similar view, MLA Sampath Kumar said never expected that such a situation would arise, and for the well-being of Telangana, the Kalvakuntla family should be chased away. He further sought strict against those who defected into the pink party.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Uttam Kumar Reddy said the State was formed with the fight of JAC Chairman Kodandaram, Gaddar and Vimalakka. He said while it was the Congress which ensured statehood to Telangana, the TRS has been describing it as the villain of the State.

Stating that KCR become a curse for the State, Uttam said the Chief Minister was not competent enough to speak against former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The hunger strike camp was also addressed by MLA Revanth Reddy, former minister R Damodar Reddy and others.