Hyderabad: Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Saturday responded to BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao’s challenge for a public debate on welfare, agriculture, and development issues, asserting that any such discussion should happen on the floor of the Telangana Assembly, not at the Basheerbagh Press Club.
Ponnam told reporters that the government was ready to discuss any matter in the Assembly and invited BRS chief and Leader of the Opposition K. Chandrashekhar Rao to formally request a special session through the Speaker if needed.
“It is not inappropriate for KT Rama Rao to ask for an open debate at Basheerbagh, but these matters belong in the Assembly,” the Minister said.
He underlined that the Congress was fully prepared to debate BRS on any issue of governance, policy, or farmers’ welfare, but only in a structured legislative setting.
Ponnam also expressed confidence that the Congress would sweep the upcoming local body polls, pointing out there was no model code of conduct currently restricting public discussion.
He maintained that the Assembly remained the proper democratic forum to settle questions about the government’s performance.
