Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Naidu faces the music from MLAs

Special Correspondent

MLAs cutting across party lines insist that Naidu must withdraw remarks against Chair on Volkswagen issue

HYDERABAD: The entire Assembly rallied behind Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy on Monday and poured scorn over the remarks made by Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu against the Chair.

Mr. Naidu narrowly missed being censured with the Speaker playing it cool when Government Chief Whip N. Kiran Kumar Reddy sought to move a motion against Mr. Naidu and demanded voting on it.

The Volkswagen scam once again turned out to be the epicentre for the controversy in the House. The TDP found itself cornered with the CPI(M), the CPI, the TRS and the MIM joining the chorus of treasury benches in demanding an apology from Mr. Naidu.

When Mr. Naidu was listing out `failures of the Government' on the Volkswagen issue, the Speaker urged him to restrict himself to registering his protest. Enraged, Mr. Naidu told the Speaker: "Sir, you write down what I should speak and give it to me first." An agitated Mr. Suresh Reddy took exception to Mr. Naidu's observations.

TRS member Nayani Narasimha Reddy urged the House to move a motion of censure against Mr. Naidu. Minister for Legislative Affairs K. Rosaiah suggested that it would be dignified if Mr. Naidu withdrew his remarks and expressed regrets.

Y. Ramakrishnudu (TDP) took up cudgels on behalf of Mr. Naidu saying that the latter did not intend to demean the Chair. Though the Speaker, in his bid to put an end to the controversy, announced that he presumed that Mr. Naidu expressed his regrets, the treasury benches did not relent.

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