Congress walks out from Assembly On Fee Reimbursement Issue

The desperation of the Congress party to garner publicity by stalling the proceedings in the Telangana Assembly once again came to the fore on Monday when its members staged a walk out from the House after failing to get their adjournment motion take precedence over the question hour.

Soon after the House Assembled and Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy, who was presiding, proceeded to take up the question hour as per the agenda, Leader of the Opposition K. Jana Reddy pointed out that his party has given notice of an adjournment motion regarding clearing of fee reimbursement dues of 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 the question hour,  she 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 their protest in this regard. Thereupon Floor leader of MIM Akbaruddin Owaisi asserted that the Leader of the 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 the Question Hour. The Congress party cannot change their stand during every session.

       

 Minister for Legislative Affairs Harish Rao was aghast that senior and 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. Having realized that their game plan to stall and disrupt the proceedings was only boomeranging, Jana Reddy announced that the Congress party was staging a walk out from the House in protest, and  led the walk out.

       

 Even as the Congress members were walking out, Minister for Legislative Affair quipped that it would be good if they ( Congress members ) stayed out as the proceedings in the House could continue without any disruption. (NSS).