KTR’s constitution swipe at Rahul, RR

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR), on Thursday, accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of making mockery of the Constitution.

Reacting strongly to Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar's order dismissing petitions for disqualification of two BRS MLAs who had defected to Congress, Rama Rao said that Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy were 'shamelessly' defending the MLAs who had defected.

The BRS leader alleged that both Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy are making a mockery of the Constitution and undermining it at every step.

"The Congress party, by corrupting the Speaker's office with political pressure to prevent action against the defecting MLAs Kale Yadaiah and Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, has once again demonstrated its moral bankruptcy. The same 'anti-democratic' forces that previously prevented action against five defecting MLAs have today once again completely disregarded constitutional values," KTR said on social media platform X.

"Even with a million pieces of evidence of the defection right before their eyes, claiming a lack of evidence is an insult to the sacred Legislative Assembly," he said while reacting to the Assembly Speaker's observation that there is no evidence that the MLAs defected to Congress.

"It has once again become clear that the Congress party has no respect not only for the Constitution but also for the highest courts. Today's verdict clearly shows that the ruling party is trembling at the prospect of facing by-elections in the constituencies of the defecting MLAs, especially after the people gave the Congress a resounding defeat in the Panchayat elections," KTR added.

"No matter how many times the Congress party tries to protect the defecting MLAs, it will be of no use. The fact that they have already become "former" MLAs in the court of public opinion is a testament to the Congress party's foolishness. The BRS will continue its fight until those who insulted the people's verdict and the Chief Minister who went door-to-door to drape them with Congress scarves are taught a lesson," the BRS leader said.

The Assembly Speaker Kumar on Thursday dismissed the BRS petitions for disqualification of the two MLAs.

He has so far dismissed petitions for disqualification of seven out of 10 BRS MLAs, who had allegedly defected to the Congress.

Last month, Speaker Kumar dismissed the petitions for disqualification of five MLAs.

He had completed the hearing on the petitions for the disqualification of eight MLAs and reserved the court orders in November.

The Speaker is yet to pronounce the order on the plea for disqualification of one MLA while hearing is yet to be taken up for disqualification of two more MLAs.