Revanth’s remark on turncoats sparks row, Sabitha hits back, reminds his own defection

The assembly witnessed heated arguments between the Congress and the BRS members during the discussion on the Appropriation Bill in the afternoon

Senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) lawmaker and former Telangana home minister Sabitha Indra Reddy on Wednesday broke down in the assembly, following an alleged inappropriate remark made by chief minister A Revanth Reddy against her.

It all began when BRS member KT Rama Rao was accusing the Congress of engineering defections from the BRS (CMO Telangana X)

The assembly witnessed heated arguments between the Congress and the BRS members during the discussion on the Appropriation Bill in the afternoon. The bill was passed amid protests from the BRS members, who demanded an apology from Revanth Reddy and deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka against women members of the BRS.

It all began when BRS member KT Rama Rao was accusing the Congress of engineering defections from the BRS. Reacting to the comments, the chief minister pointed out the defection of Sabitha from the Congress into the BRS before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

“If KTR trusts these sisters sitting behind him and listens to their words, he will end up at Jubilee Bus Stand in Secunderabad,” Revanth Reddy said, and pointed out not a single woman was given the cabinet berth in the first term of the BRS government. His comment led to a furore in the assembly, as Sabitha and another BRS MLA Sunitha Laxma Reddy, raised strong exceptions to it.

Turning emotional in the House, Sabitha wondered why she was being targeted for changing the party when several other MLAs did the same, including the present Congress MLAs. “Which party did Revanth Reddy come from? There should be a discussion on defections,” she said.

Stating that it was she who had invited Revanth Reddy into the Congress, Sabitha said she predicted that he had the scope of becoming the chief minister, if he joined the Congress. “I blessed Revanth Reddy heartfully. But why is the Congress targeting me now?” she asked, with a choked voice.

Reddy said he had not used any bad words against Sabitha and he always treated her as a sister. “She advised me to contest from Malkajgiri parliamentary constituency in 2019 but then left the Congress for the BRS, even before I was declared the candidate. She gained a ministerial position by joining BRS,” he said.

Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka also alleged that it was because of Sabitha that he had lost the Leader of Opposition status in the assembly. “I was made Leader of Opposition, the first Dalit to occupy that position, by the Congress. I asked her to stay back in the Congress so that I will not lose that post. But Sabitha deserted the Congress for the sake of ministerial berth,” he said.

The BRS MLAs stormed the podium and continued to raise the slogans, but Speaker Gaddam Prasada Rao reprimanded them for creating ruckus. The House passed the appropriation bill, amid protest from the BRS MLAs.