Telangana CM's remarks on BRS women MLAs spark furore

Hyderabad, July 31 (IANS) Certain remarks by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy about two women MLAs of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) sparked a furore in the Assembly with the main opposition party demanding an apology from him. 

BRS MLAs P. Sabitha Indra Reddy and V. Sunita Lakshma Reddy and others trooped into the well of the House, demanding that the Chief Minister apologise for his remarks.

Even after the Chief Minister left the House for the airport to receive new Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, the BRS members continued their protest.

They later came out raising slogans against the Chief Minister in the lobbies of the Assembly after the House was adjourned.

The Chief Minister made some remarks after minister Seethakka raised the issue of BRS leaders approaching the Governor to disqualify the BRS MLA who recently joined the Congress party.

She said the memorandum was given by Sabitha Indra Reddy, who had defected from BRS to Congress.

She asked if BRS admitted the Congress MLAs after they resigned from the Assembly.

To this, Sabitha Indra Reddy wanted to know why Revanth Reddy was targeting her.

She recalled as a sister he had invited him to join Congress.

"Why Revanth Reddy has this grudge against me? When he joined the Congress party, I said that he would become the hope of the party and that he would become chief minister. I heartfully blessed him," said Sabitha Indra Reddy, who had quit Congress to join BRS in 2019 and became a minister in the KCR-led Cabinet.

Responding to Sabitha Indra Reddy's comments, Revanth Reddy said it was true that she had invited him to the Congress.

"The Congress asked me to contest from Malkajgiri in 2019. She promised that if I contest from Malkajgiri she will support me. As soon as Congress declared me as the candidate from Malkajgiri, she joined BRS. For sake of power, she left Congress, joined BRS and became a minister. Since she betrayed me as a younger brother, I told KTR not to trust her," he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka also recalled how the Congress encouraged Sabitha Indra Reddy by offering her ticket in the 2004 Assembly elections, followed by ministerial berths.

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao told mediapersons that Revanth Reddy's remarks are highly deplorable.

He said that Revanth Reddy was unfit to be the chief minister and demanded his apology.

Sabitha Indra Reddy termed the Chief Minister's remarks insulting to all women in the state.

She became emotional while talking to mediapersons.

The former minister said Revanth Reddy belittled the post of the chief minister with his remarks.

--IANS

ms/pgh