The Congress and MIM members created a ruckus over the HCU and Osmania University affairs, forcing the Assembly to be repeatedly adjourned on Saturday.
The Congress and MIM members created a ruckus and derailed the proceedings in the Telangana State Assembly over the Hyderabad Central University (University Of Hyderabad) and Osmania University affairs, forcing the House to be repeatedly adjourned on Saturday.
The House, which assembled after a three-day holiday, witnessed noisy scenes and slogan-chanting as the Congress and MIM members, who had tabled separate adjournment motions on the issue, insisted upon the taking up of their respective motions first, and Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy who was in the Chair unyielding to their requests, firmly stating that the Question Hour be completed first and other matters be taken up later as was decided in the BAC meeting.
After the pell-mell continued unabatedly with the Congress members even storming into the well of the House, the Deputy Speaker adjourned the House twice. When the House reassembled and the Chief Minister, too, was present, the Deputy Speaker announced postponement of the Question Hour since 90 minutes had already been lost. She reiterated her appeal to the Congress members to resume their seats and advised them to express their views and concerns on the HCU and OU affairs while participating in the debate on the demands of the Home Department.
However, this did not have any impact on the protesting members. Leader of the Opposition K Jana Reddy reminded that they had been cooperating with the government all these days despite many of their adjournment motions being rejected, as they wanted the House to continue its business peacefully. However, since the HCU and OU issues were of a special nature, and especially since their Party member was attacked and his vehicle was damaged, it was of paramount importance for their adjournment motion to be take up, he said.
The Chief Minister intervened to pacify the agitated Congress members by stating that everyone should condemn the alleged attack on the Congress member Sampath, and investigations would be launched to find out those responsible for it. The happenings in both HCU and OU were very unfortunate and everyone should be concerned about them, he said.
But even as he was making his speech, the Congress members indulged in slogan-shouting. This led the Chief Minister to quip that everyone could raise slogans, but that was no way to resolve any issue. He appealed to the Congress members to resume their seats and allow the debate on the Home demands, and raise their issue later. "In fact, even our (TRS) members would like to express their views," he observed.
MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi pointed out that despite knowing that the House would take up the demands for the Home Department, they had moved the adjournment motion on the HCU and OU issues, because this was a special issue and could not be mixed with other subjects. He wondered why the government was not yielding to the requests of the Opposition members and take up the HCU and OU issue first without standing on ceremony as the matter pertained to dalit students. "Does this government have no concern for the welfare of the Dalits?" he asked.
The Chief Minister tried to intervene again, and the MIM member picked up an argument with him saying he would not resume his seat unless he completed what he wanted to say. The Chief Minister repeatedly tried to convey to the member that there would be ample opportunity to discuss the matter after the debate on the Home Department demands, and wanted that the MIM members who had also stormed the well by then also resume their seats.
When all the appeals by the Chief Minister and the Deputy Speaker failed to have any impact on the agitating members, the House was adjourned for the third time.
After the House reassembled after three adjournments, the Chief Minister, in order to ensure conduct of the proceedings in an orderly manner, agreed to take up a discussion over the HCU and OU affairs, and announced that the Home Minister would make a statement on the issues. Accordingly, the Home Minister read out separate statements with regard to the HCU and OU goings-on.
Even before the House assembled, there were ample signs of the Congress members' determination to stall the proceedings. The Party's MLA Sampath came to the Assembly in the car which was damaged allegedly by the policemen when he had gone to HCU to get first-hand information about the lathi-charge on the students. Also, TPCC president and MLA Uttam Kumar Reddy was learnt to have received a telephone call from AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi to enquire about the situation in both the universities and also about the fate of the 27 students and professors of HCU who were arrested and lodged in jail. Thus, as soon as the Assembly session began at 10 am and the Deputy Speaker announced the taking up of the Question Hour, the Congress members were on their feet demanding that their adjournment motions on the HCU and OU affairs be taken up.