Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has strongly criticized Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi following Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar’s dismissal of disqualification petitions against MLAs accused of defecting from BRS to the ruling party.
BRS Working President KTR accused Rahul Gandhi of double standards, pointing out that he failed to respect the very anti-defection law introduced by his father, late Rajiv Gandhi. "Rahul Gandhi will go down in history as an incompetent leader who failed to respect the very Anti-Defection Law brought in by his own father," KTR remarked, calling the Speaker’s ruling a mockery of democracy influenced by Congress.
Senior BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao also criticized Rahul Gandhi’s “Save the Constitution” campaign, describing it as hollow. He alleged that the Congress had manipulated constitutional mechanisms to protect defectors rather than uphold legislative integrity.
The controversy arose after the Telangana legislative assembly speaker rejected disqualification pleas against five MLAs Tellam Venkata Rao, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, Gudem Mahipal Reddy, Prakash Goud, and Arekapudi Gandhi citing insufficient evidence of defection, thereby allowing them to technically remain with BRS.
BRS has decided to challenge the Speaker’s order in the Telangana High Court, demanding strict enforcement of anti-defection norms, particularly ahead of the crucial Panchayat elections. The matter has also reached the Supreme Court, with BRS alleging deliberate delays by the Speaker in deciding disqualification petitions for ten MLAs, arguing that prolonged inaction undermines the purpose of the anti-defection law.
The Supreme Court hearing on this case is scheduled for December 19, keeping political observers on edge as the state braces for potential legal and electoral developments.
