Why Did BRS MLAs Submit a Petition at Gandhi Statue Regarding Disqualification?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- BRS MLAs submitted a petition for disqualification.
- Petition submitted at the Mahatma Gandhi statue.
- Supreme Court mandates decision within three months.
- Protest highlights political tensions in Telangana.
- Democratic values at the forefront of the BRS's actions.
Hyderabad, Aug 4 (NationPress) A collective of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs convened on Monday to file a petition for the disqualification of 10 defected MLAs at the Mahatma Gandhi statue located within the Telangana Assembly premises, following the absence of the Speaker.
The BRS representatives sought to present their case to Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar and urged him to enact the Supreme Court mandate directing him to address the disqualification petitions.
They asserted that they had made prior arrangements, yet upon arrival, the Speaker was not present.
In protest, the group submitted their petition at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi situated in the Assembly grounds.
The visiting MLAs included T. Srinivas Yadav, Gangula Kamalakar, K.P. Vivekanand, Chinta Prabhakar, Manik Rao, Sudheer Reddy, Kaleru Venkatesh, P. Kaushik Reddy, Anil Jadhav, and Mutha Gopal.
During the event, former Minister Gangula Kamalakar highlighted that the Supreme Court had instructed that a decision must be rendered within three months regarding the disqualification of the defected MLAs.
"We are insisting that the Speaker disqualify the MLAs who have transitioned to the Congress party," he stated.
Kamalakar mentioned that BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao had communicated with the Speaker, confirming that the BRS MLAs would be visiting him.
Although an appointment was granted for 11 a.m., the BRS MLAs discovered the Speaker's office locked upon their arrival, he noted.
"This prompted us to submit our petition to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, appealing for the preservation of democracy," he added.
The former Minister urged Speaker Kumar to uphold democracy by disqualifying the defected MLAs.
On July 31, the Supreme Court commanded the Speaker to resolve the disqualification petitions of 10 BRS MLAs within a three-month timeframe.
A division bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai delivered the orders based on petitions filed by BRS Working President, other BRS MLAs, and BJP floor leader in Assembly, A. Maheshwar Reddy.
The apex court granted the requests from BRS leaders for directives to the Speaker to expedite the disqualification process.
The court instructed the Speaker to finalize the disqualification petitions as swiftly as possible, ensuring a decision within three months.
Additionally, the bench nullified a previous ruling by the Telangana High Court that stated the court could not impose a deadline on the Speaker for deciding disqualification petitions.
The defected MLAs include Danam Nagender (Khairatabad), Tellam Venkat Rao (Bhadrachalam), Kadiyam Srihari (Station Ghanpur), Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Banswada), M. Sanjay Kumar (Jagtial), Arekapudi Gandhi (Serilingampally), T. Prakash Goud (Rajendranagar), B. Krishna Mohan Reddy (Gadwal), G. Mahipal Reddy (Patancheru), and Kale Yadaiah (Chevella) who joined the Congress last year.