VIJAYAWADA: Pandemonium prevailed on the first day of the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly session on Thursday as the Opposition TDP leaders demanded a discussion on the adjournment motion seeking immediate release of party chief N Chandrababu Naidu.
As many as 15 TDP and two rebel YSRC MLAs were suspended for storming into the Well of the House and climbing into the Speaker’s Podium. The former chief minister was arrested on September 9 for his alleged role in the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) scam.As soon as proceedings in the House commenced, TDP leaders denounced Naidu’s arrest, tore papers and hurled them at the Speaker.
In no time, a war of words erupted between the ruling and Opposition parties amid heavy sloganeering. The YSRC MLAs took strong exception to TDP MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna twirling his moustache. Retorting to the gesture, Water Resources Minister Ambati Rambabu advised the filmstar to limit such acts to his movies.
Subsequently, Speaker Tammineni Sitaram suspended two TDP MLAs - Payyavula Keshav and Anagani Satyaprasad - and YSRC rebel MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy for the entire session. The remaining 14 legislators, including TDP MLAs K Atchannaidu, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Bendalam Ashok, Nimmakayala Chinarajappa, Adireddy Bhavani, Gadde Rammohan, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, PGVR Naidu (Ganababu), Nimmala Rama Naidu, Manthena Ramaraju, Gottipati Ravi Kumar, Yeluri Sambasiva Rao, Dola Sree Veera Balanjaneya Swamy and YSRC rebel MLA Undavalli Sridevi, were suspended for the day.
While action was taken against Keshav for taking videos as the marshals surrounded the TDP MLAs, the other two leaders were suspended for unruly behaviour. Stating that property in the Assembly was damaged during the ruckus, the Speaker said the matter would be referred to the Ethics Committee. He also warned Balakrishna to refrain from making inappropriate gestures.
Taking exception to the Opposition members disrupting the proceedings of the House, Ambati Rambabu said the TDP leaders’ actions were provoking the treasury benches.After some ruling party leaders, including Social Welfare Minister Merugu Nagarjuna, tried to rush to the podium, the Speaker urged them to go back to their seats. When the situation could not be controlled, he adjourned the House.
When the House assembled again, a number of marshals were deployed in the House to prevent the Opposition MLAs from entering the Well. Nonetheless, the TDP MLAs jostled with the marshals and tried to enter the Well. They raised slogans against Naidu’s ‘illegal’ arrest and criticised Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Stating that the government was ready to discuss the Adjournment Motion at length, Legislative Affairs Minister Buggana Rajendranth noted that the discussion could be possible only if the Opposition presented their demand in a proper manner.
Accusing the TDP of disrupting the House only to hit the headlines, the minister said, “Not just the Skill Development issue, we will discuss several other issues during the course of the session. Irrespective of the fact that the case is in court, we are ready to talk about it on the Opposition’s demand.”
As the chaos continued, Buggana read out the names of the MLAs who were disrupting the House and requested the Speaker to suspend them.A tense situation prevailed when leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties came face-to-face just before the suspended MLAs walked out of the House.In the Legislative Council, too, the TDP MLCs obstructed the proceedings, demanding the immediate release of Naidu.
Blame game erupts
Outside the Assembly, the YSRC and TDP blamed each other for the unruly scenes on the floor of the Assembly.Lambasting at the TDP, Minister for Information and Public Relations Ch Venu Gopala Krishna said the unruly behaviour of the Opposition leaders has lowered the dignity and decorum of the House.
“In an unprecedented manner, they threw papers on the Speaker after rushing into the podium. Unfortunately, a legislator, who was with YSRC till the last session, even attempted to damage the computer panel on the Speaker’s desk,” he said. Stating that neither Naidu nor his advocates have denied the `371-crore scam or the former chief minister’s role, Krishna said, “They are only arguing about the technicalities of Naidu’s arrest.”
Tourism and Sports RK Roja remarked, “All these years, Balakrishna as Hindupur MLA, was never active in the House. Now that Naidu has been put behind bars, he has become hyperactive.”Terming it a black day in the history of State Assembly, TDP State unit chief K Atchannaidu defended Balakrishna and said the actor twirled his moustache only after being provoked by Rambabu.
“The TDP MLAs were suspended from the House because the YSRC leaders do not want the people to know the facts, another TDP MLA Nimmala Rama Naidu alleged.Meanwhile, the House will take up discussion on the Skill Development Corporation issue on Friday.
Assembly session to be on till September 27
The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting held under the chairmanship of AP Legislative Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram on Thursday, decided to conduct the ongoing session till September 27 with five working days. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Ministers Buggana Rajendranath (Legislative Affairs), Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy (Energy) and Jogi Ramesh (Housing), Coordinator G Srikanth Reddy, Government Chief Whip M Prasada Raju and officials attended the meeting. The TDP abstained from the BAC meeting