Newly elected MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Telangana are unwilling to participate in the Legislative Assembly proceedings following AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi’s appointment as the Telangana Legislative Assembly’s new pro-tem Speaker on Saturday, December 9.
The saffron MLAs also made highly derogatory and Islamophobic remarks about the Muslim politician.
Akbaruddin’s oath was administered by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan following which he is supposed to conduct the swearing in ceremony for all the MLAs-elect.
Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh, accused in several hate speech cases, on Friday had said that none of the eight BJP members would take oath if it was to be administered by Akbaruddin.
In a video message, Raja Singh said he would never take oath “as long as he is alive” in front of AIMIM. “Can I take oath in front of a person (Akbaruddin Owaisi) who made anti-Hindu comments in the past?” asked Raja Singh.
“It is very unfortunate. After the Congress formed the government and Revanth Reddy became the chief minister, Congress’s real face has come to the fore. New chief minister Revanth Reddy earlier alleged a tacit understanding among BRS, AIMIM and BJP and he should now clarify as to what is the relation between his party and AIMIM,…We will not take oath in front of such a person…We will boycott…,” Raja Singh said.
The newly-elected MLAs of Telangana are scheduled to take oath during the first session of the legislative assembly scheduled to be held 11am on Saturday, a government order (GO) said.
Telangana Congress spokesperson Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said pro-tem Speaker is a matter related to the Constitution and that some senior MLA has to be appointed to the post.
“It does not show that we are with the AIMIM by making him the pro-tem Speaker. We don’t have to polarise a community to survive in politics,” the Congress spokesperson added.
