BRS MLAs protest outside Telangana Assembly
On Wednesday, February 14, MLAs from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) gathered outside the Telangana Assembly in Hyderabad to protest against what they see as attempts by the Congress government to silence them. They were upset because they felt they were being prevented from speaking both inside the assembly and at the media point outside.
A senior leader of BRS, T Harish Rao, shared a video showing the interaction between BRS MLAs and security officials near the media point, which was barricaded. The MLAs were curious as to why they weren’t allowed access to the media point, and the security officials explained that they were following orders not to permit access during Assembly sessions.
The BRS MLAs weren’t satisfied with this explanation. They demanded to see official orders in writing regarding this rule. When they didn’t receive any, they decided to stage a protest at the barricades. During the protest, they raised slogans criticizing what they perceive as a restrictive environment under the Congress government.
They pointed out that in the past, Congress MLAs had held press conferences during Assembly sessions without any issue. They questioned whether this move was censorship and whether it aligned with the principles of democracy. Harish Rao, one of the leaders, emphasized that it’s vital for the opposition to have a voice, both inside and outside the Assembly.
The BRS MLAs argued that there’s no rule preventing them from speaking at the media point while Assembly sessions are ongoing. They accused the ruling party of trying to silence them by not allowing them to speak in the Assembly and now, by restricting their access to the media.
Overall, the protest highlighted the tension between the ruling Congress government and the opposition BRS. The BRS members felt marginalized and silenced, believing that their right to express their views was being curtailed. They saw the blockade of the media point as yet another attempt to suppress their voices.