"BJP to approach Governor over Akbaruddin Owaisi's appointment as pro-tem Speaker in Telangana": G Kishan Reddy

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], December 9 : Objecting to the appointment of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen's Akbaruddin Owaisi as a pro-tem Speaker of the assembly, Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party chief and Union minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday that BJP decided to boycott the oath-taking event, alleging violation of assembly rules in the appointment of pro-tem Speaker.
G Kishan Reddy further said that the BJP will go to the Governor on the issue of pro-tem Speaker.
"BJP is against the appointment of Akbaruddin Owaisi as Pro-tem Speaker (of Telangana Assembly). This is against the tradition of appointing senior MLAs to the post.The BJP MLAs will boycott taking oaths before this pro-tem Speaker", he said.
"Our MLAs will take oath after a Speaker is appointed. We will never ally with such a party (AIMIM). We will go to the Governor on this," he added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party accused the Congress government of 'neglecting' the senior candidates for the post and of defying the existing tradition of the House.
Citing violation of assembly rules in the appointment of pro-tem Speaker, he said, "There is a tradition of appointing senior leaders as the pro-tem speakers. However, they (Congress) have appointed Akbaruddin Owaisi due to their understanding with AIMIM. We object to this."
"The Congress only has a slight majority. Thus, they have made Akbaruddin Owaisi the pro-tem speaker. We want a different pro-tem speaker to conduct the Speaker elections. We will tell the same to the Governor now," he added.
Earlier on Friday, AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi took oath as Protem Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly in Raj Bhawan, Hyderabad.
The oath was administered by Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was also present on the occasion.
The Governor appointed Akbaruddin Owaisi as the pro-tem Speaker of the state assembly on Friday.
The first session of the third Telangana State Legislative Assembly began today.
The pro-tem Speaker serves a temporary role, officiating the assembly session until the newly-elected members are sworn in and a speaker is elected.
Earlier on Thursday, twelve MLAs took oaths as ministers in a fresh cabinet in Telangana, along with new Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy in Hyderabad. Revanth Reddy became the first Congress Chief Minister of the youngest state in India.
Congress won an absolute majority in Telangana for the first time, winning 64 of 119 seats.
Telangana Congress President Revanth Reddy won by a margin of 32,532 votes in Kodangal against BRS's Patnam Narender Reddy.
Meanwhile, the Telangana BJP took to 'X' and criticised the new Congress government over the appointment of the AIMIM MLA as the pro-tem speaker.
"The Congress government in Telangana is like a nose that blows when it sneezes. That is why Telangana state BJP President and Union Minister @kishanreddybjp has expressed his opposition to the decision of the Congress to write off the tradition of the Legislative Assembly by assigning the post of Protem Speaker to Akbaruddin Owaisi to tame the Majlis Party and not the seniors in the Assembly", said the party in a post on 'X'.