Congress Urges Assembly Speaker To Set Up Drug Testing Camps
Congress MLC Balmuri Venkat on Sunday staged a protest along with party workers and burnt an effigy of Rama Rao
Hyderabad: After the arrest of former BRS MLA ‘Pilot’ Rohith Reddy in the drugs case, the Congress on Sunday blamed the emergence of a “drug culture” in Telangana on BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao. The party also urged the Assembly Speaker to organise mandatory drug testing camps for legislators.
Congress leaders said such testing should be conducted on the Assembly premises before every session to ensure that members are “clean”.
The demand came amid political criticism directed at the BRS leadership following the arrest of Rohith Reddy. Congress leaders also referred to earlier controversies involving farmhouses owned by BRS leaders. In 2024, Raj Pakala, the brother-in-law of Rama Rao, faced investigation in connection with the Janwada farmhouse case. Rohith Reddy had earlier been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in 2022 in connection with a drug case in Bengaluru.
The issue of drug testing has previously been raised in political exchanges between the Congress and the BRS. When the Congress was in the Opposition, both parties engaged in public challenges over drug tests. Before coming to power, then TPCC president and current Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had challenged Rama Rao for a “white challenge”, but the latter did not turn up.
Congress MLC Balmuri Venkat on Sunday staged a protest along with party workers and burnt an effigy of Rama Rao while renewing the demand for drug tests for political leaders. “This has been proven once again by the Rohith Reddy’s case. Your leaders were caught by the EAGLE Team in possession of drugs. KTR must now clarify. If he has the guts, KTR should respond to this incident. When the government is striving hard to transform the state into a drug-free state, the BRS leaders are attempting to malign the government,” he said.
In a representation to the Assembly Speaker and Legislative Council Chairman, Dr Venkat urged the setting up of a testing centre in the Assembly premises to conduct mandatory drug testing camps for all members before the start of every Assembly session.
“This would serve as a powerful and visible demonstration of our seriousness in addressing the issue. This simple yet impactful step would go a long way in strengthening the fight against the drug menace and inspire greater responsibility among all the sections of society,” he said.