Bifurcation, integration slogans ensure no business in House

The State Assembly once again on Friday reverberated with slogan shouting by the opposition Members in support of separate Telangana and integrated Andhra, resulting in yet another day passing by without any business being transacted.

The slogan shouting resulted in the House being forced to be adjourned abruptly for half an hour as the Chair could not bring the situation under control.

Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India had given notice for an adjournment motion for a debate on separate Telangana while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) sought a motion on wages for outsourcing employees.

The TDP Members raised the ‘Samaikhyandhra’ slogans while the CPI Members raised pro-Telangana slogans as Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar rejected to take note of the notices for adjournment motions served by the opposition. 

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy intervened and sought to cooperation from the opposition leaders to conduct the business peacefully. He also made it clear that he expected the opposition to give their opinion in the all-party meeting with the Centre in the background of Srikrishna Committee Report.

Replying to the Chief Minister’s statement, TDP MLA Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu pointed out that the Congress was solely responsible for creating the current problem in the state. How far was it reasonable for Sonia Gandhi to have kept silent on the burning issue, he asked and demanded that the Chief Minister spell out his opinion on Telangana first which will be followed up by his party.

Picking up the thread, Chief Whip Batti Vikramarka condemned Mr Muddukrishnama Naidu’s remarks against Sonia Gandhi.

At this point the Deputy Speaker was forced to adjourn the house for half an hour.

The House looked more or less empty with over 50 Members keeping away from it. While the TRS and TDP members boycotted the House, the PRP members did not attend. Some Ministers, Whip, Chief Whip, some members belonging to Telangana and Seemandhra regions and one or two MIM Members were present.

When the House reassembled again, Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy replying on Budget deplored the non-cooperation by the opposition in the House. The TDP Members surrounded the podium at this time. 

There were many issues related to the development and growth and problems of the farmers and the poor but the opposition did not cooperate with the chair to conduct any discussion on the Floor of the House, Mr Ramnayaran Reddy said.

The opposition had shirked its responsibility and kept away from important discussions to find solutions on problems related to the poor welfare schemes, he continued.

“It was unfortunate,” he said, taking a dig at Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu, who reportedly compared the two regions Seemandhra and Telangana as his two eyes. Mr Ramnarayan Reddy questioned whether his two eyes were closed.

“Mr Naidu has become blind to the issues of the poor on the Floor of the House,” the Finance Minister stated.

Replying on the Budget, the Finance Minister said that the state was observing discipline securing financial resources for welfare schemes. The tax collections were satisfactory reaching 19.4 percent. The state was heading towards ‘Harith Andhra Pradesh’ under the leadership of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, he stated.

Earlier, the developmental schemes started by former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy were successfully implemented by his successor K Rosaiah and now Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy, the Finance Minister claimed.

Even as the Finance Minister was making his reply, the opposition continued their protests raising slogans. Any amount of attempt by the Deputy Speaker to pacify them was of no avail and the Chair had to adjourn the House for the Day.