The Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which is on a warpath against its ally -- the Congress, took the battle to the Andhra Pradesh assembly, forcing its adjournment twice on Monday on the issue of sharing of river waters.
Donning an opposition party's role, the TRS moved an adjournment motion opposing the diversion of Krishna river water to Rayalaseema region from Pothireddypadu head regulator.
As soon as Speaker K R Suresh Reddy disallowed all the six adjournment motions tabled by six parties on various issues, the TRS members rushed towards the podium, raising slogans demanding that their adjournment motion be taken up for discussion.
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They contended that the diversion of 40,000 cusecs of Krishna water from Pothireddypadu to Rayalaseema districts daily would have detrimental effect on Telangana region as well as the coastal delta.
The Speaker's plea, urging the TRS members to return to their seats, fell on deaf ears. As the members continued to disrupt the proceedings, Reddy adjourned the House barely 15 minutes after the day's sitting commenced. When the House reassembled, the TRS members persisted with their demand and continued to disrupt the proceedings. Once again, the Speaker had to adjourn the House.
"Do you want discussions or disruptions? I will not allow such interruptions. This House runs through consensus and not on the whims of individual members or parties. This is not the way to pressurize the Chair. This is very unjust and absolutely immature behaviour. The Chair cannot help you if you violate the rules and disrupt the proceedings," Reddy told the agitating TRS members.
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The issue was resolved when the Speaker convened the floor leaders' meeting in his chambers. It was decided to take up the issue of diversion of Krishna waters in the House on Tuesday. A short discussion would also be taken up on the irrigation projects in the state.
When the House reassembled for the second time, the Speaker suspended the question hour and zero hour. After several bills were introduced by the ministers, the House took up a discussion on the recent floods in the state.
The relations between the Congress and TRS turned sour after the latter pulled out six ministers from Y S Rajasekhara Reddy cabinet three months ago, alleging that the chief minister was adopting "anti-Telangana" stance.
In the civic elections held on September 24, the TRS contested separately after refusing to continue the poll alliance with the Congress. However, the party got a severe drubbing in the civic polls, winning only two municipalities out of 34
civic bodies in Telangana region.
At the same time, the TRS decided to take up issues relating to Telangana region in the monsoon session of the assembly. These issues include discrimination against Telangana in the matter of allocation of budgetary funds for irrigation projects, implementation of GO 610 on jobs for locals and foisting of 'false cases' against the TRS leaders and union ministers K Chandrasekhar Rao and A Narendra for making provocative utterances.