Date:01/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/07/01/stories/2004070108190400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Telugu Desam members' protest draws flak

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 30. The alleged attacks on TDP cadres in Anantapur rocked the Assembly for the third day on Wednesday, forcing the Speaker, K.R.Suresh Reddy, to adourn the House abruptly without transacting any business, amidst uproarious scenes.

It was the second adjournment of the day. Earlier, the speaker had to adjourn the House for more than one-and-half hours after the main Opposition Telugu Desam members disrupted the proceedings, raised slogans and waved placards demanding a further discussion on the issue. After the house re-assembled, several TDP members, including the former minister, Ch.Ayanna Patrudu, rushed towards the Speaker's podium forcing the chair to adjourn the House for the day.

As soon as the House met to take up the question hour, the TDP members were on their feet urging the Chair to allow their members, who were not present in the House yesterday, to offer personal explanation in connection with the allegations made against them. They also maintained that the Government had not replied to the specific demands raised by them during the debate yesterday.

The Speaker, however, ruled the issue as closed. Besides, he had adjourned the House yesterday after there was no response from the leader of Opposition, N.Chandrababu Naidu, whom he called twice. He told the Opposition members that it was not correct to stall the proceedings as he gave them ample opportunity during the four-hour debate on the issue yesterday. On the insistence by TDP members for allowing personal explanations, he said that he had already announced yesterday that unsubstantiated, wild and unparliamentary allegations would be expunged.

Criticising the TDP members for stalling the proceedings, the Legislative Affairs Minister, K.Rosaiah, said the Government replied to every issue raised by them and could not be expected to answer in the manner in which they wanted. He said the Government was committed to maintain the law and order and would not protect the guilty. The CPI(M) and CPI floor leaders also criticised the Telugu Desam for disrupting the proceedings and wanted question hour to be taken up.

However, the TDP members remained unrelenting and several of them moved towards the front row and raised slogans like "killings should stop" and "CM should come". The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was not present in the House at that time.

The leader of the Opposition maintained that they did not get a proper reply on their demands which included setting up of a special court, Rs.5 lakh ex-gratia to the victims, the dismissal of the Minister from Anantapur district and arrest of an MLA. Alleging that the Government was encouraging violence, he demanded that the Chief Minister should be summoned to the House to resolve the issue.

As the stalemate continued, the Congress, TRS, CPI and CPI(M) members were on their feet waving the question hour papers even as the MLAs from the treasury benches raised counter slogans "we want question hour". At one stage, the Government Chief Whip, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, demanded an apology from Mr.Naidu for casting aspersions on the chair.

The Speaker adjourned the House for the first time as the uproar continued in spite of his assurance that he would convene a meeting of all floor leaders to sort out the issue.