Congress Walks Out Of Assembly Over Fee Reimbursement

Congress MLAs staged a walkout from the Telangana Assembly today after failing to get their adjournment motion take precedence over Question Hour.

Soon after the House assembled and Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy, who was presiding, proceeded to take up Question Hour as per the agenda, Leader Of Opposition K Jana Reddy pointed out that his party had given notice of an adjournment motion regarding the clearing of the fee reimbursement dues of the students.

He insisted that it was an important issue concerning the academic interests of the student community, and hence should be given preference over other business in the House.

However, the Deputy Speaker refused to yield to the Congress demand by pointing out that as decided in the BAC, only after completion of Question Hour would take a decision in the matter.

But Jana Reddy persisted that it was made amply clear at the BAC meeting that the Chair should take a decision on an adjournment motion only after hearing the merit and importance of the issue.

When his argument could not influence the Deputy Speaker, Jana Reddy said that the Chair should permit the party to express its protest in this regard. Thereupon the floor leader of the MIM Akbaruddin Owaisi asserted that the Leader Of Opposition was misleading the House as it was agreed upon at the BAC that an adjournment could be taken up only after the completion of Question Hour. The Congress could not keep changing its stand, he said.

Minister for Legislative Affairs Harish Rao expressed disappointment that a seasoned Congress leader like Jana Reddy was trying to deviate from set practices and procedures. He pointed out that the Deputy Speaker had not made any ruling on the adjournment motion and hence it was illogical to talk about expressing any protest.

Jana Reddy then announced that the Congress was staging a walkout from the House in protest, and led the walkout.

As the Congress members were walking out, Rao quipped that it would be good if they (Congress members) stayed out as the proceedings in the House could then continue without any disruption.