BJP MLAs in Telangana refuse to take Oaths opposing election of Akbaruddin Owaisi as Pro Tem speaker
Hyderabad, Dec 9: The first session of the third Telangana Legislative Assembly began here on Saturday with the oath taking process of the newly-elected MLAs getting underway.
The BJP MLAs, however, stayed away from the House, alleging that AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi was appointed as Pro Tem Speaker in violation of rules.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was the first to take oath, followed by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.
The House was adjourned to December 14 after several members took the oath.
Before the commencement of the session, Akbaruddin Owaisi was administered the oath by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan as the Pro Tem Speaker at the Raj Bhavan and he presided over the proceedings in the House.
Owaisi was appointed as Pro Tem Speaker though there were other senior members in the House, Union Minister and state BJP president G Kishan Reddy alleged.
"There is a tradition of a senior person being appointed as the pro tem Speaker in the Assembly. The BJP opposes the appointment of AIMIM's Akbaruddin Owaisi as Pro Tem Speaker as per an understanding (of Congress) with AIMIM," Reddy told reporters.
Observing that the Congress has only a wafer-thin majority in the Assembly, he claimed that the government is faced with a situation of collapsing even for a small pretext. In view of this, the AIMIM member is made the Pro Tem Speaker as per a plan, he alleged.
"Because of the violation of the legislative Assembly's rules, we are opposing the appointment of the AIMIM person as the Pro Tem Speaker. Therefore, our members are boycotting taking oath with him in the chair," he said.
The Congress has begun its appeasement politics and violation of the traditions of legislative Assembly just three days after assuming power, Reddy alleged.
He pointed out that the BJP has already claimed that there is a tacit understanding between the Congress and the AIMIM.
During the recent election campaign, it was alleged (by Congress) that the BJP and AIMIM were one. Now, Telangana people should know on what criteria Owaisi has been made Pro Tem Speaker in violation of rules, Reddy said.
The true colours of the Congress have come out again, he said.
The BJP would like the election of the Speaker to be held after the appointment of a senior member as Pro Tem Speaker.
The BJP MLAs would take oath after the regular Speaker assumes office, Reddy said.
The BJP MLAs later submitted a memorandum in the Raj Bhavan requesting Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to set aside the nomination of Akbaruddin Owaisi as Pro Tem Speaker.
As per the constitution, Article 188, a senior most member in terms of number of years in the Assembly be nominated as the Pro Tem Speaker, the BJP MLAs said in the memorandum.
"The TS-BJP takes strong objection to the way the norms are flouted wilfully by the Government to pander to certain' sections of the people in pursuit of appeasement politics," the memorandum said.
The BJP also requested the Governor to instruct the officials concerned to withhold the process of election of a new full-time Speaker for the newly constituted assembly pending nomination of a senior most member as Speaker.
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Shivamogga tense after boy murdered outside school
Shivamogga (PTI): A 16-year-old boy was murdered outside a government school in Sulaebailu here, sparking tension in the area, police said on Tuesday.
Following the incident, a large police force was deployed in the city.
The incident occurred after Sanketh (16), an SSLC student of the Government High School at Uragadooru, attended a special class ahead of examinations.
Superintendent of Police Nikhil B told reporters that Sanketh intervened in an argument involving a group of boys outside his school.
“Some friends who were known to him — they had earlier studied in the same school — were involved. They are also minors. They hit him with their hands. Immediately after being struck, he collapsed. After he fell, by the time he was taken to the hospital, we came to know that he had died,”
"... he was struck near the chest. Due to that blow, he collapsed on the spot,” the SP said.
Two minors have been taken into custody in this connection.
“We are also gathering information about others involved in the incident. Whoever is found to be involved, we will initiate legal action against them as well,” the official added.
On the possible motive, the SP said the exact cause is yet to be ascertained.
“We do not have complete information about that. Once we conduct a detailed inquiry, we will know. Some people are saying it may have been over a trivial matter. However, we cannot confirm that at this stage,” he said.
The incident took on a communal undertone, prompting authorities to deploy heavy police reinforcements across the city to maintain order and prevent escalation.
BJP MLA from Shivamogga, S N Channabasappa, also visited the hospital.
