It is ‘disgusting’ to see Jagan speaking of democracy: Ayyanna

 Vijayawada: Assembly Speaker Ch Ayyanna Patrudu on Wednesday lashed out at YSRCP president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, accusing him of making “irresponsible statements” after losing in Pulivendula and Ontimitta ZPTC bypolls. He said it was “disgusting” to hear Jagan speak about democracy, alleging that during his tenure as chief minister he committed numerous irregularities and even prevented opposition candidates from filing nominations.

“How does Jagan have the moral right to talk about democracy in Pulivendula? His comments against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu are objectionable and should be condemned by all democrats,” Patrudu said.

Ayyanna Patrudu, accompanied by Assembly secretary general Prasanna Kumar Suryadevara, inaugurated a new set of modern, high-speed printing machines on Thursday. The new equipment, installed at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore, is a significant upgrade for the Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Assembly’s printing facilities.

Speaking to the media after the inauguration, the Speaker highlighted the crucial role these state-of-the-art machines will play in the government’s functioning, especially during the Assembly sessions and the annual budget presentation. He explained that the new printers are capable of quickly producing essential and confidential documents, such as answers to questions, declarations, and activity records. He also mentioned that an additional Rs 1 crore is being allocated for the installation of similar modern printing machines at government printing presses in Vijayawada and Kurnool. The Speaker remarked that the previous government’s tenure saw “all systems rusted,” and these new printing machines are part of an effort to “remove that rust.”

In a separate but related statement, Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu said that Assembly sessions should be held for at least 100 days a year. He emphasised that this would allow for extensive discussion and resolution of people’s issues, leading to better benefits for the public. He referenced a speakers’ meeting in Patna where this issue was discussed and noted that while the previous government’s sessions lasted only 78 days over five years, the current government has already held 31 days of sessions. He said during Question Hour, 10 questions are answered daily, with two questions allocated to the YSRCP based on their numerical strength. However, he noted that the YSRCP members are submitting questions but not coming to the House, causing the questions to be wasted. He said that to prevent this, he is considering reallocating those two questions to another party if the YSRCP does not confirm their attendance.

Assembly deputy secretaries Vanitha Rani, Raj Kumar, Subbaraju, and other officials also participated.