'Did We Make A Mistake By Letting You Go Earlier?': Supreme Court Again Censures Telangana CM For Unrestrained Remarks

The Supreme Court today again called out Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over some of his statements on the Floor of the House and wondered if it made a mistake by not issuing a contempt notice to him earlier when he made remarks on the Court's grant of bail to BRS leader K Kavitha.

It may be recalled that the Court had yesterday taken strong exception to the CM's statement, in presence of the Telangana Assembly Speaker, that no bye-elections will take place even if BRS MLAs switch sides to the Congress party. The Court had orally said that the CM's remarks made a "mockery of the tenth schedule" of the Constitution.

The exchange took place while the Court was dealing with pleas seeking the Telangana Assembly Speaker's timely decision on disqualification petitions filed in relation to the defection of certain MLAs from the BRS party to the ruling Congress party in Telangana.

Today, a bench of Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih was apprised by Senior Advocate Aryama Sundaram (for petitioners) that during the proceedings in the House, a BRS MLA said to the CM that Supreme Court proceedings should not be discussed, as the matter is sub-judice, but the CM was of the view that "we have a right to say what we want".

Sundaram read out the CM's statement as follows: "Mr. Speaker, I am telling on your behalf, to everyone present in the Assembly that they need not worry about any bye-elections in future. No bye-elections will come. There will be no bye-elections even if the opposition MLAs want a bye-election. It won't happen. Whether they come here, or stay there, there will be no bye-elections".

As per the senior counsel, when the BRS MLA claimed that the matter was pending before the Supreme Court and hence should not be discussed, the CM replied, "Harish Rao [...] reminded us that the case is sub-judice before the Supreme Court. If I speak inside the House, there is some protection. But those who speak outside do not have any protection. This House is immune for certain laws. We can mention some things in the House. There is a protection under your leadership. There is a saying that bye-elections will be held next week or the other week. This is all nonsense, Mr. Speaker. Nothing is going to happen. Nothing is going to change. And no one needs to worry. There is no need to focus on bye-elections".

Sundaram assailed the fact that the Speaker kept quiet even though the CM claimed to be speaking on his behalf. "How can I reasonably expect him to finish this matter? Speaker should have said please don't speak on my behalf I am not subscribing to this. But he keeps quiet. How can I expect Speaker to decide in reasonable time?", he questioned.

Disapproving of the CM's statements, Justice Gavai posed to Senior Advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi (appearing for Telangana Assembly Speaker/Secretary), "Having experience on earlier occasion, was the CM not expected to atleast exercise some degree of restraint? Did we commit a mistake by letting you go at that time and not taking action for contempt? If this is the manner...separation of powers...We are not bothered about what politicians say, but when the person already having faced similar circumstance...not even a year has gone".

The judge added that while the Supreme Court exercises self-restraint, same is expected of the other two wings of democracy also.

Singhvi, although not appearing for the CM, claimed that the transcript was being read selectively and that there have been provocations from the other side in the House. When he sought time to get the transcript, Justice Gavai pointed out that the petitioners were placing before the Court the full transcript only.

Ultimately, not permitting the matter to get derailed, the bench asked Singhvi to continue his submissions on law. After hearing the parties, the orders in the cases were reserved.

Case Title: PADI KAUSHIK REDDY Versus THE STATE OF TELANGANA AND ORS., SLP(C) No. 2353-2354/2025 (and connected cases)