Assembly Ethics Panel to Review BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy's Conduct on August 29

Hyderabad: The Telangana Legislative Assembly Ethics Committee is set to take up a case against BRS MLA from Huzurabad, Padi Kaushik Reddy, on August 29.

The inquiry stems from allegations that Kaushik Reddy behaved inappropriately toward MLA Kadiyam Srihari on the assembly floor in March during a debate on mining irregularities. Srihari alleged that Kaushik Reddy interrupted his speech, questioned his party affiliation, and made threatening gestures, including pretending to shoot a gun. Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar subsequently referred Kaushik Reddy's conduct to the Committee on Ethics.

The Ethics Committee is headed by Congress MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy and includes BRS MLAs Vemula Prashanth Reddy and T. Padma Rao, BJP MLA Paidi Rakesh Reddy, and CPI MLA Sambasiva Rao as members.

Condemning the move, Balkonda MLA Vemula Prashanth Reddy alleged that the Congress government was resorting to political vendetta through ethics and inquiry committees to silence BRS legislators who question the administration on public issues.

Speaking at a media conference held at Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday alongside MLAs Muttha Gopal, Padi Kaushik Reddy, K. Sanjay, and Anil Jadhav, Prashanth Reddy confirmed he received a notice from the assembly secretariat scheduling the August 29 meeting to discuss Kaushik Reddy's conduct and recommend action.

Prashanth Reddy pointed out that the Ethics Committee did not exist at the time the matter was referred to it in the assembly, calling the proceedings a vindictive strategy. He stated that Kaushik Reddy had merely questioned Srihari about his party identity after Srihari criticised the policies of the previous government.

The BRS leader also questioned why the Ethics Committee had not initiated action against ruling party members, alleging that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, several ministers, and Congress legislators had previously used abusive language and made threats inside the assembly without facing scrutiny.