Hyderabad: Sept 8, AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi on Tuesday urged BRS chief and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao to apologise over the alleged derogatory remarks made by BRS MLC Tata Madhusudhan against Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar.

Participating in the debate in the Assembly, Akbaruddin strongly condemned the remarks and demanded action against the BRS MLC. He said merely withdrawing the remarks was not enough and stressed that an apology was necessary to resolve the controversy.

“Withdrawal of words and an apology are two different things,” Akbaruddin said, urging KCR to apologise to the people of Telangana. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining dignity, decorum and respect inside the Legislative Assembly.

Akbaruddin pointed out that legislators could be suspended for unparliamentary conduct but could not simply be expelled, and appealed to all political parties to maintain the dignity of the House. He said the ongoing controversy should be resolved at the earliest so that legislators could concentrate on pressing public issues.

He highlighted several concerns requiring the Assembly’s attention, including pending student fee reimbursement, water-related problems, disputes involving Section 22A properties and grievances of farmers.

Akbaruddin also criticised the alleged police action against opposition legislators during the recent Assembly confrontation and strongly defended the dignity of women MLAs. Referring to the women legislators as his “sisters and colleagues,” he said any alleged misconduct by police personnel should be investigated and those responsible should be held accountable.

He alleged that the women legislators’ hair was pulled and their sarees were stepped on during the confrontation, describing the alleged conduct as a serious violation of their dignity in public.

Akbaruddin welcomed the Speaker’s decision to order an inquiry into the alleged police high-handedness and called for accountability. He said political differences should not come at the cost of the dignity and respect of women legislators.

He appealed to all parties to put the controversy behind them and work together to address the issues affecting the people of Telangana.