Former minister and BRS MLA G Jagadish Reddy was suspended from the Telangana Assembly for the remainder of the Budget session for his inappropriate remarks against Speaker Gaddam Prasad Rao during the debate on the governor’s address.

The House descended into chaos during the debate, forcing the Speaker to adjourn it for some time. Once the House resumed legislative business, Minister D Sridhar Babu moved a motion for the suspension of the BRS MLA, which was passed despite protests from the Opposition.

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Trouble began as Jagadish Reddy rose to speak on the Governor’s address and remarked that it was Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated, alleging that the Congress did not fulfill the promises but claimed to have delivered them. “Within 36 minutes, they made the governor utter 360 lies,” he alleged.

Reddy’s triggered protests from Treasury Benches as minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy slammed the BRS, recalling the unfulfilled promises of the previous BRS regime. The BRS then accused the ruling party of stifling their voices and urged the Speaker to allow the members to speak without any interruptions.

The Speaker directed Jagadish Reddy to stay on the topic instead of deviating. The former energy minister insisted he had not strayed from the matter, but the Speaker said questioning the Chair was a violation and warned him to desist from doing so. Jagadish Reddy then said the House belonged to all members, including the Opposition, and they had equal rights. He reminded that the Speaker was elected by the members.

The Speaker said the BRS MLA spoke against the traditions of the House. Congress took umbrage and demanded an apology from the BRS MLA. The House was thrown into a din, and Congress MLAs demanded his suspension. As the two sides continued to shout at each other, the Speaker adjourned the House.

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy suggested that the matter be referred to the ethics committee of the House. The legislative affairs minister then moved a motion seeking Jagadish Reddy’s suspension for the remainder of the session, which was accepted by the Speaker.

The BRS then walked out in protest and staged a sit-in demonstration at the Ambedkar statue near Tank Bund. BRS working president and Sircilla MLA KT Rama Rao said, “The Congress party claims to be democratic, but what it does is undemocratic. The government suspended MLA Jagadish Reddy after it could not tolerate the questions he raised in the Assembly on behalf of farmers whose loans were not waived by the government and whose standing crops withered away.”