NEWS

Uproar in AP assembly after insult to Chandrababu

By Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad
July 23, 2007 20:43 IST
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's verbal attack on Leader of the Opposition and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu created a furore in the State legislative Assembly on Monday.

Though the Chief Minister later clarified that if he had spoken anything unparliamentary about his predecessor, it should be expunged from the records, the TDP members demanded an unconditional apology from him.

As the House witnessed uproarious scenes, with the TDP members rushing into the well of the House, Speaker K R Suresh Reddy adjourned the sitting till evening.

When the House re-assembled at 4.30 pm to take up the legislative bills, the TDP members again raised a ruckus against the Chief Minister's remark and insisted on an apology. The TDP members were once again suspended from the House for the day.

The chief minister made the controversial remarks against Naidu during a heated debate on the mining lease to Obulapuram Mining Corporation owned by a suspended BJP MLC from Karnataka in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh and the arrest of TDP MPs, MLAs and MLCs on Saturday when they went to visit the mining area.

Reddy lost his cool and made the unsavoury comment in the course of his clarifications on the opposition's allegations when Naidu tried to intervene.

Speaking in Telugu, he angrily challenged Naidu, "I will expose all your misdeeds in such a way that you will repent having been born to your mother. I will wash you out."

He repeated the remark even as an angry Naidu and TDP legislators loudly protested. TDP members immediately rushed towards the Speaker's podium, demanding an apology from the chief minister.

At this stage, the speaker adjourned the House till evening.

Speaking to newsmen in the lobbies, Naidu said he was hurt by the chief minister's 'mean outburst'. All the members in the House have mothers. Has anybody been born without a mother' Naidu quipped.

Earlier, clarifying the issue in the House, Dr Rajasekhar Reddy said it was Naidu's government that had given iron ore mining lease to OMC.

Janardhan Reddy, a suspended BJP member of Karnataka Legislative Council.

He said that the police arrested TDP leaders, including MPs, MLAs and MLCs on Saturday, as they were proceeding to the mining area without permission and in violation of prohibitory orders imposed in the area. He said Janardhan Reddy was ready to facilitate a visit by the TDP delegation but wanted the party to wait for his return from China.

The issue of police 'highhandedness' against TDP leaders rocked the Assembly as soon as it met for the day. The Speaker had suspended Naidu and 20 other TDP legislators from the question hour for stalling the proceedings.

Similarly, in the Legislative Council also, the TDP members stalled the proceedings on Monday morning, seeking to raise the 'Obulapuram incident'.

Council chairman A Chakrapani adjourned the House for sometime. When the Council sitting re-commenced, the TDP members continued their protest, leading to their suspension from the House for the day. Later, marshals were called in to evict the suspended Council members from the House.

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

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