Congress holds protests against 'illegal' merger of party MLAs with TRS, 'forced' hospitalisation of party leader in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Stepping up its attack on the Telangana Rashtra Samithi 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. [caption id="" align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Telangana Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy. Twitter@UttamTPCC[/caption] Activists of National Students Union of India (NSUI), the students wing of Congress, organised a protest at Nampalli area in Hyderabad against the merger of the 12 Congress MLAs with the TRS and “forced” hospitalisation of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader M Bhatti Vikramarka. Congress leaders and workers, raising slogans against TRS, held protests at Karimnagar and other places in the state. Vikramarka had launched an indefinite fast at Dharna Chowk in the city on Saturday against the merger. He was shifted to a government hospital Monday morning by the 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 “illegal” merger issue with him, besides raising it in the Parliament. Telangana Assembly Speaker P Srinivas Reddy Thursday last recognised 12 MLAs of Congress as members of TRS, hours after they moved him, 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 won 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.