Hyderabad: Stepping up its attack on TRS over the ‘illegal’ merger of 12 Congress MLAs in Telangana with that party, the opposition Congress staged protests Tuesday in Hyderabad and other towns in the state.
Activists of National Students Union of India (NSUI) — the students’ wing of Congress — organised a protest at Nampalli area against the merger and ‘forced’ hospitalisation of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader M Bhatti Vikramarka.
Vikramarka who was on an indefinite fast since Saturday, was shifted to a government hospital Monday morning by police in view of his ‘failing health’ and also for holding the protest beyond the permitted time.
Vikramarka called off his fast in the hospital Monday following an appeal by state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other leaders. They urged him to end the fast as his health was a matter of concern.
Uttam Kumar Reddy, also MP-elect, Monday said his party would seek an appointment with the President to take up the merger issue with him, besides raising it in Parliament.
Telangana Assembly Speaker P Srinivas Reddy last Thursday recognised 12 MLAs of Congress as members of TRS, seeking merger of their group with the ruling party.
The Speaker acceded to their request, considering the fact that they constituted two-thirds of the Congress Legislature Party — a requirement for merger under the anti-defection law.
The Congress did win 19 seats in the assembly polls in December 2018 but 11 of them had announced (during the last few months) their decision to leave the party and join TRS.
As the Congress strength has come down to six, one less than that of AIMIM, it may lose the status of the main opposition party in the 119-member House.
PTI