Pandemonium, walk-out in Assembly

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 22. Congress, Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen and CPI (M) members staged a walk-out in the Assembly today, protesting against the Government's ``anti-farmer policies'', which was dubbed by the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, as ``a ploy to serve ulterior political motives.''

It began with the Congress member, Mr. T. Jeevan Reddy, wrenching a mike and tearing off the agenda papers when he was not allowed to put a supplementary to a question on supply of seed. The Speaker, Ms. Pratibha Bharathi, said that ``the action of the member is not proper,'' and that the cost of the damage would be recovered from the member. Then, other Congress members said that the question related to supply of spurious seed, and members should be given an opportunity to participate in the discussion. The Speaker said she allowed 20 minutes of discussion on a single question, and she cannot complete Question Hour if members did not cooperate with the Chair.

Then the Assembly was plunged into pandemonium as the Congress and TDP members repeatedly clashed over the issue. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, intervened to say that the Government was prepared for a discussion on any issue, but the House cannot yield to ``rowdyism.'' The Chief Minister said that the Government was more concerned with the plight of farmers than anyone else and was doing its best.

The acrimonious exchange between the Opposition and treasury benches continued with the TD members demanding either an apology or suspension while Congress members raised slogans against the `anti-farmer policies' of the ruling party.

The Minister for Legislative Affairs, Mr. Y. Ramakrushnudu, raised a point of order and demanded that any damage to the property must be collected from the member under Rule 324. The Speaker agreed to do so.

This further led to an argument whether or not the mike was broken. The Speaker said she saw the member breaking the mike, and the Chief Minister insisted it was broken while Dr.Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy asserted that ``only two screws connecting the mike to the table became loose, like the economic policies of the Government and there was no damage to the mike.'' The Chief Minister retorted that it was ``your screws that are loose.''

Dr. Rajasekhar Reddy accused the Government of breaking its promise on compensation, and said his party preferred a walk-out as the ruling party members were trivialising the issue. The Chief Minister was adopting diversionary tactics. What was important was not the mike but the farmers' plight, he argued.

The Chief Minister said appropriate conduct of the member was relevant and the issue of compensation could be taken up in the coming days. The Opposition was trying to coerce the Government into submission which was not acceptable to them, he said. In reply Mr. V. Sobhanadreeswara Rao, Minister for Agriculture, said that the Government was protecting the interest of farmers.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Next     : Another residential college student commits
           suicide