Revanth faults KCR’s absence from Assembly, accuses BRS of ‘arrogance’

HYDERABAD

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday criticised Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao for not attending the ongoing Budget session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, terming it a disregard for legislative responsibilities.

Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s address, Mr. Reddy said the government had expected Mr. Rao to attend the session and extend greetings to the new Governor. He also expressed disappointment over the Opposition’s absence at the unveiling of the ‘Telangana Talli’ statue on the Assembly premises.

The Chief Minister accused the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leadership of continuing with what he described as an “arrogant attitude” despite losing power in the 2023 Assembly elections.

Stating that democratic institutions must be respected, Mr. Reddy said the continued absence of the Leader of the Opposition from important debates reflected a “neglectful attitude” towards the Legislature. He remarked that while monarchies had ceased to exist, “autocratic tendencies” persisted among some political leaders.

In a democracy, he said, people are the sovereign and elect their representatives, but some leaders continued to behave as though they were above the system and were unwilling to accept the people’s verdict.

The Chief Minister also raised the issue of public expenditure, stating that the Leader of the Opposition had drawn ₹1,06,56,674 as salary and allowances since December 1, 2023. He said a decision needed to be taken on drawing such benefits without attending Assembly proceedings, while expressing hope that Mr. Rao would participate in the sessions in the coming days.