Minister Seethakka Slams BRS Over Speaker Remarks and Assault on Police
Telangana Minister of Women and Child Welfare Dasari Anasuya, known as Seethakka, lashed out at Bharat Rashtra Samithi leaders at the Telangana Legislative Assembly in Hyderabad on Tuesday. She accused opposition legislators of making inappropriate remarks against Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar and subsequently denying their statements inside the House.
Addressing the House during the second day of the Legislative Assembly Monsoon session, Seethakka directly questioned the conduct of the opposition during recent confrontations. She demanded to know who had pushed former minister Sabitha Indra Reddy and asked whether BRS leader T. Harish Rao intended to "strip in front of women."
The minister took strong exception to opposition members placing women legislators in the middle of protests. She told the BRS leaders that they should have first escorted their women MLAs to a safe place before coming forward themselves, rather than pushing female members to the front during the agitation.
Seethakka also leveled serious allegations regarding the mistreatment of law enforcement officials, stating that BRS leaders had manhandled an on-duty woman police officer and hurled verbal abuses at her. Highlighting that visual evidence of these incidents exists, she demanded strict action against the MLAs who assaulted police personnel deployed on duty.
Describing the state Legislative Assembly as being "like a temple," the minister urged BRS women leaders to introspect about the party's conduct. She questioned the consistency of their leadership, pointing out that the BRS had previously expelled Kavitha over remarks concerning Harish Rao, and contrasted that past move with the party's current stance alleging the abuse and ill-treatment of women leaders.
The protests contributed to widespread disruption inside the House, leading to the Assembly proceedings being adjourned within one hour of commencement on Tuesday. Opposition BRS leaders, led by Harish Rao, created a major furore in the chamber over police action directed against them in front of the Assembly on Monday, the opening day of the session.
