Date:15/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/07/15/stories/2004071505070400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Floor leaders floored

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 14. The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, floored the party leaders with his inspiring words and his vision of the nation's future, going by their reactions later to his 100-minute long speech and interaction in the Assembly today.

Using superlatives, the BJP leader, G. Kishen Reddy, described the President's first-ever address to the House as `unforgettable for the rest of our lives and an inspiration' while Nomula Narasimhaiah (CPI(M) said his message to the MLAs was `very valuable'.

The TDP deputy leader, N. Janardhan Reddy, also said the speech was inspiring, his 10-point mission for Andhra Pradesh really `thought provoking'. Mr. G. Venkata Reddy (CPI) went a step further to suggest that the President should deliver such an address in every State Assembly.

Another view expressed by the floor leaders was that the President had reminded the elected representatives of their responsibilities which were changing with the times and appreciated his emphasis on the need to give an impetus to agriculture and rural development.

Mr. Venkat Reddy and Mr. Kishan Reddy, who were talking to reporters, advised the TDP and the Congress to draw lessons from the President's speech by ending their daily quota of political mud-slinging in the Assembly.