TDP stifling Oppn voice: Jagan

PROTESTS GALORE IN ASSEMBLY

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly faced several disruptions as the YSRCP members stormed into the well protesting against the Speaker’s decision to disallow the adjournment motion on loan waiver to DWACRA women.Though the Speaker Kodela Siva Prasad Rao asked the Opposition members to come in a different form and assured them that he would take it up for discussion, the YSRCP members did not relent. They even displayed placards demanding loan waiver to DWCRA groups. Leader of Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy tried to make an attempt to explain how the government had failed to repay Rs 14,000 crore loans owed by the DWCRA groups. He said the government, during the last nine months, had cleared only loans worth Rs 1,000 crore. For the remaining loans to the tune of Rs 13,000 crore, the banks were charging interest of about 14 percent, he said.

Minister, K Atchannaidu objected to the way the leader of Opposition and his members stalling the proceedings of the House in gross violation of all rules. He urged the Speaker to conduct special classes for Jagan on the rules and procedures of the House.The Speaker, quoting rules, told Jagan that no adjournment motion could be accepted when the House was in the process of discussing the Motion of Thanks to Governor’s address. He told them to give a separate notice for discussion. But an angry Jagan said the voice of the Opposition was being muzzled and even he was not being given mike.

Taking exception to the ‘sweeping’ remarks, the Speaker said every time Jagan got up, he was given the mike and there was nothing he could do if the Opposition leader would not follow the rules and procedure in the House. When Srinivasulu Reddy demanded suspension of the MLAs who were causing disruptions and disallowing the House to run its business smoothly, the Opposition members trooped into the well of the House and created a ruckus forcing the Speaker to adjourn the house for 10 minutes. When the House reassembled, the protest continued. Jagan again got up and wanted to protest before staging a walkout and once again started speaking on the subject of the adjournment motion.

The Speaker told him not to set a new precedent. Amidst strong protests from the ruling party members and counter allegations from the YSRCP, the Assembly was once again adjourned for 10 minutes. Finally Jagan staged a walk-out. Earlier, Jaganmohan Reddy took exception to ruling party members and some AP Ministers asking about why he did not respond adequately about the 14th Finance Commission not recommending funds to Andhra Pradesh as hoped.

Jaganmohan Reddy said he had met Union Ministers on different occasions to represent Andhra Pradesh's interests and that his party gave an appropriate response. He said there were allegations of corruption against Naidu as well. In his response, the AP Chief Minister said he had strictly maintained discipline and honesty in his public life for more than three decades. Jaganmohan Reddy and Ministers like Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, K Atchannaidu and D Umamaheswara Rao as well as MLAs from the treasury benches had heated exchanges over issues of corruption.