Hyderabad: Ahead of the Telangana Assembly session on Monday, September 7, the Congress held a protest at Hyderabad’s Dharna Chowk on Sunday, September 6, over Bharat Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrashekhar Rao’s prolonged absence from the House.
The protest was led by Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Telangana Minority Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin and Telangana IT Minister D Sridhar Babu.
Videos shared on social media showed several Congress workers displaying “Kumbhakarna KCR” posters while marching to the Dharna Chowk.
Addressing the gathering, Azharuddin questioned the prolonged absence of former Telangana CM KCR from the Assembly, stressing that constitutional responsibilities must be fulfilled with commitment and accountability.
The minister said that if KCR is unable to attend the Assembly session, he must resign as the Leader of the Opposition. The minister stressed that the LoP holds an important position in a parliamentary democracy and has a responsibility to question the government, participate in debates and raise the concerns of the people.
“KCR’s continued absence from the Assembly raises serious questions about his responsibility towards the people who elected him,” Azharuddin said.
The minister said that KCR was regular at the Assembly while he was the Chief Minister. “Today, when the people need their representatives to speak for them, the Opposition must be present in the House.”
Government focusing on welfare
Azharuddin said that the Telangana government, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, is focused on welfare and development in the state. He went on to say that the state government is focusing on the Telangana Rising vision, women’s empowerment, strengthening families, education and the welfare of minorities.
Mahesh Kumar Goud
Telangana Congress President B Mahesh Kumar Goud urged BRS president and Leader of the Opposition KCR to attend the Assembly’s monsoon session beginning on Monday, criticising him for largely staying away from the House.
The ruling Congress organised a ‘maha dharna’ (mass protest) here, demanding the resignation of Rao, popularly known as KCR, for allegedly staying away from the Assembly while drawing a salary and other perks.
“Every citizen and Congress activist is questioning you (KCR) for ignoring your responsibility (as the LoP) and confining yourself to your farmhouse. This state has given you a responsibility. People are angry with you because you forgot your responsibility. We are organising this dharna to make you realise that,” Goud said on Sunday.
KCR, who is a senior leader, should attend the session and participate in the debates, he said. The Congress government was ready to correct any shortcomings if they were pointed out, he added.
The PCC president expressed confidence that Congress would be in power till 2040.
The Congress government has achieved many successes and ensured progress in the last 1,000 days since it assumed office, he said.
Several state ministers, including Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, attended the event.
“Rao, who served as chief minister for 10 years, should have attended the House and presented his views as a responsible Leader of the Opposition. But he is misusing public money by not attending the Assembly. Society is questioning this,” Prabhakar claimed.
“If a government employee does not attend work, he is removed from service. People are now raising this question, and Congress is taking up the issue of the Opposition leadership on their behalf,” he added.
Highlighting the Congress government’s welfare schemes, such as free travel for women in RTC buses, distribution of fine-variety rice, the ‘Indiramma’ housing scheme for the poor and the filling of 72,000 government vacancies, he urged party workers to publicise the initiatives among the people.
Kumbakarna KCR
On September 4, the Congress held the ‘Kumbhakarna’ protest in Hyderabad targeting KCR over his absence from the Telangana Assembly for 1,000 days since the Grand Old Party came to power in Telangana.
The protest displayed a large poster showing KCR dressed as ‘Kumbhakarna’, likening him to Ravana’s brother in the epic Ramayana, who was cursed to sleep for six months straight.
Starting from the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee head office at the Gandhi Bhavan as part of the party’s celebration of 1,000 days in office, a march was carried out to Gun Park.
With inputs from PTI
