Formula E race inquiry creates ruckus in the Assembly as BRS raises strong protest

State Government inquiry into Formula-E race irregularities sparks chaos in Legislative Assembly, leading to adjournment of proceedings.

The State Government’s decision to order an inquiry into alleged irregularities in hosting the Formula-E car races disrupted the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly for over four hours on Friday (December 20, 2024).

The opposition BRS members requested Speaker G. Prasad Kumar to allow a debate on the Government’s decision in the House as it convened for the day, but the Treasury Benches rejected the demand. Pandemonium was witnessed in the House all through the day as the BRS members remained unrelenting in their demands.

The opposition members trooped into the Well of the House, and BRS member T. Harish Rao managed to get close to the Speaker’s podium amid jostling between assembly marshals and BRS members. In the process, the BRS members tore the papers relating to the business of the day and flung the pieces towards the Speaker’s chair, forcing the adjournment of proceedings.

Repeated requests by the Chair asking members to resume their seats went in vain as the Opposition members continued raising slogans against the Government’s decision. Mr. Harish Rao asserted that the Formula E race was held in the interests of the State but the Government had registered an illegal case against the party member K.T. Rama Rao. “It (Formula E race) has been done in the interests of the State and let the Government prove its charge if it is otherwise. Allow the debate as the member should get an opportunity to present his views on the issue,” he demanded.

Congress member Revuri Prakash Reddy who intervened in the matter said that the issue could not be taken up in the legislature as it had been entrusted to the ACB after obtaining the consent from Governor Jishnu Dev Varma.

Mr. Prasad Kumar asked the members to allow the passage of the Telangana Bhu Bharathi (Record of Rights on Land) Act, 2024 assuring that he would call the BRS members into his chamber to take a decision on the issue. But the BRS members remained unrelenting forcing the Speaker to ask Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy to take up the Record of Rights Bill.

The Speaker had to adjourn the House twice as the pandemonium continued. Repeated requests by the Chair, the Revenue Minister and Legislative Affairs Minister D. Sridhar Babu went in vain as the BRS members continued their raising slogans against the Government’s actions.