VIJAYAWADA: In an unprecedented turnaround of events, the AP Legislative Council was on Wednesday adjourned sine die without passing the Appropriation Bill. Unsavoury scenes, akin to the previous Council session, were witnessed in the House with the treasury benches and opposition members accusing each other in the House. The YSRC members alleged that TDP MLC Nara Lokesh took photos of the House proceedings and demanded action against him. They also demanded action against the TDP MLCs who attacked a minister in the House.
After the House passed the motion thanking the Governor for his address, Legislative Affairs Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy and Municipal Administration Minister Botcha Satyanarayana sought the Chair’s permission to take up discussion on two crucial Bills — CRDA Repeal Bill and Decentralisation Bill — but the Opposition Leader in the Council Yanamala Ramakrishnudu insisted that the House pass the Appropriation Bill first and then the two Bills.
The treasury benches, however, insisted that as per the procedure, the Bills be passed first and the Appropriation Bill can be taken up later. Even as the two sides stuck to their guns, Council Deputy Chairman Reddy Subrahmanyam, citing Rule 90 notice given by the TDP, permitted Yanamala to speak. The TDP gave the notice under Rule 90 to not to take up discussion on the two Bills as they were already referred to the select committee.
This led to acrimonious scenes in the House with both sides resorting to war of words. Amid pandemonium, ruling and opposition members rushed to the podium and both sides accused each other of attacking them. As the House could not be put into order, the Deputy Chairman adjourned the Council.
Speaking to reporters later, Leader of the House Pilli Subash Chandra Bose alleged that Yanamala was using all his experience to see that the House did not function properly.
He said that though Finance Minister Rajendranath Reddy pleaded with folded hands to run the House smoothly to pass the Appropriation Bill failing which the government could not draw money from the treasury to pay salaries or for other payments, the Chairman did not cooperate with them. “This is most unfortunate,” he said. Stating that it was an unfortunate day in the history of Council, Agriculture Minister K Kannababu said that the TDP MLCs had assaulted their minister.
The TDP, in an official statement, however, said that the YSRC MLCs rushed to the podium to attack Deputy Chairman Subrahmanyam after he adjourned the House. “As Lokesh was holding a mobile phone, the YSRC MLCs thought that he was filming the unsavoury events and the ministers tried to attack him. As Kannababu and Srinivasa Rao rushed towards Lokesh, our MLCs prevented them. It was the YSRC MLCs who hurled abuses on the Deputy Chairman and physically attacked our MLCs,’’ it said.