Harish Rao Flags ‘Serious Constitutional Violations’ in Telangana House

Former minister and BRS leader Harish Rao has written an open letter to Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, expressing strong concerns over alleged violations of Assembly rules and the undermining of legislative dignity.

In his letter, Harish Rao highlighted that two years have passed without the formation of House committees and no action has been taken regarding the appointment of a Deputy Speaker, which he said is detrimental to the democratic process.

Rao also criticized the Speaker for failing to act on the disqualification of rebel MLAs despite clear directions from the Supreme Court. Citing Article 191(2) of the Constitution, he said the Speaker is obligated to take prompt action, but the process is being deliberately delayed.

The letter further pointed out that responses to written questions from members are often not provided, while Question Hour and Zero Hour sessions are frequently disrupted, infringing upon the rights of Assembly members. Harish Rao also condemned the repeated adjournments of the House, which he said violates Rules 13 and 16 of Assembly procedures.

He noted that the absence of a Deputy Speaker has rendered the Privileges Committee ineffective, and despite the resignation of the Estimates Committee Chairman, the committee has not been reconstituted, reflecting a significant lapse in legislative administration.

Calling for respect for democratic values and the integrity of the legislative system, Rao demanded that the Assembly meet for at least 30 days a year and urged the Speaker to take immediate decisions on pending disqualification petitions.

What Article 191(2) Says:

According to Article 191(2) of the Indian Constitution, a member of a State Legislative Assembly may be disqualified if they voluntarily give up their party membership or act against the interests of their party. The final authority to decide on such disqualifications rests with the Assembly Speaker. The article is intended to uphold democratic values by preventing party defections.