‘Sisters’ remark controversy: BRS MLAs protests in Telangana Assembly, seek apology from CM

Hyderabad: Members of the BRS party held a protest in the Telangana Assembly on Thursday demanding an apology from chief minister A Revanth Reddy over his alleged remarks insulting women members of the opposition party.

Hitting back at the opposition party, CM Revanth Reddy said he always respected women and sisters. As soon as the House commenced business, BRS MLAs wearing black badges rose and started raising slogans.

The members entered the Well of the House and indulged in sloganeering during a discussion on a bill for setting up skill universities in the State.

Despite repeated requests by speaker G Prasad Kumar and the treasury benches to return to their seats, the BRS legislators continued their agitation.

AIMIM on BRS MLAs protest

AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi asked the speaker to either give the BRS members a chance to speak or suspend them so that the House would be in order.

“You have to face them or have the courage to suspend them. If you don’t have the courage, you give them the mike,” Akbaruddin Owaisi said.

Sloganeering in the House

BRS MLA Harish Rao made a favourable statement on the skill university and the Supreme Court’s verdict on empowering States to make sub-classifications of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

After his statement, BRS leaders walked out and staged a dharna in front of the CM’s chambers in the Assembly. They were evicted by the marshals, who carried BRS leader KT Rama Rao and others out of the Assembly.

The opposition party also called for statewide protests on Thursday against the CM’s comments.

Skill University

CM Revanth Reddy found fault with the BRS for not participating in the debate on the skill university. He also criticised the opposition party alleging that it is circulating objectionable pictures and posts on social media of minister Dansari Anasuya Seethakka.

“If I show you that (objectionable) video (of Seethakka), you will hit them with footwear,” Revanth Reddy told the speaker.

Asserting that he always respected women, CM Revanth Reddy alleged that the BRS reached an understanding with Delhi after its MLC Kavitha was arrested.

Opposition walkout

Revanth Reddy said, “The main Opposition leader did not come for the meeting and those who were there have walked out. The opposition does not want discussion on Skill University.” There are 17 courses to be introduced at the University.

‘Sisters’ remark

A remark on ‘sisters’ raised a war of words in the Assembly.

CM Revanth Reddy said, “I treated both sisters (referring to P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Sunitha Lakshma Reddy) as my own sisters. While one sister left me in the middle of the road, another sister ensured two criminal cases were filed against me when I went for an election campaign in Narsapur. I am still attending court hearings in these cases. You both went there (joined BRS) and got plum posts. Did anyone say why slap police cases against my brother? I spoke as if both were my own sisters. When I said Seethakka is like my own sister, some of them made unwanted remarks. Even the memes made on BRS social media against Seethakka are highly objectionable.”

The ‘sisters’ remark led to a war of words in and outside the Assembly with BRS taking exception to CM Revanth Reddy’s remarks in the House on MLA P Sabita Indra Reddy quitting Congress and joining the regional party in 2019 after ‘promising’ to support his candidature in the Lok Sabha elections.

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka had criticised Sabita Reddy for quitting Congress and joining BRS despite being a minister in the previous Congress regime for 10 years.