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Noisy scenes in AP assembly over Muslim minister's quitting

Pandemonium prevailed in the Andhra Pradesh assembly for more than an hour today with the Congress demanding a discussion on the resignation of Heavy Industry Minister Basheeruddin Babu Khan from the Nara Chandrababu Naidu cabinet over the ruling Telugu Desam Party's support to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre.

Noisy scenes were witnessed with members on the Treasury benches repeatedly clashing with the Congress who, at one stage, made a brief sit-in on the speaker's podium in the House.

Panel Speaker Pratibha Bharati had a tough time in controlling the members as the Congressmen kept arguing with her even after she ruled that political decisions could not be discussed in the House. In between, she announced the cancellation of the zero hour, which, she, however restored later.

Raising the issue immediately after the question time, Congress leader P Janardhana Reddy drew the chair's attention to the chief minister's offer for a discussion in the House.

As the Congress member was making his submission, Naidu was seen leaving his seat, enabling the former to taunt him for 'running away' from the House.

A visibly irritated Naidu returned midway and objected to the Congress members's remarks, saying that their conduct lacked decorum and they had shown disrespect to the leader of the House. ''I was going out to (prepare) a statement on the intermediate exam issue,'' the chief minister said angrily and left the House. The Congress sought to raise the issue through an adjournment motion earlier in the day, but the chair disallowed it.

With the chief minister's departure, the Congress members invaded the well of the House and alleged that Labour Minister T Srinivas Yadav had challenged them to settle the issue outside the assembly.

This generated more heat as the Congress and TDP members clashed. The panel chairman made efforts to restrain both the minister and the Opposition members.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Paturi Ramaiah and Communist Party of India leader Puvvada Nageswara Rao too joined issue, reminding the chair that the chief minister had himself agreed to a debate.

Even as the Congress members were on their feet, the panel speaker called Congress member E Pratap to speak on the issue listed in the agenda for zero hour.

Legislative Affairs and Finance Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju intervened even as another Congress member D Nagendra had an exchange with the chair, complaining about the minister's threat to him.

Raju said the members were converting the House into a post office. Two days of work had been wasted, costing Rs 3 million of public money. The minister appealed to the chair to restore order.

In between, the Congress members went up to the speaker's podium and were seen arguing with Bharati while the Congress's K Laxminarayana and two others squatted on the steps for some time before resuming their seats on the chair's direction.

The chief minister, who returned to the assembly, sought the leaders's co-operation in maintaining the dignity of the House.

Janardhan Reddy said the speaker had assured members at a meeting yesterday that a discussion on the issue could be decided by the chief minister. As the chief minister did not attend the meeting, they had raised the issue and denied having accused Naidu of fleeing from the House.

''When I had agreed for a discussion," Naidu said, "You had insisted on a statement from Babu Khan and the latter had made a suo motu statement.''

Bharati, however, reiterated her earlier ruling that a debate on a political decision could not be allowed in the House.

UNI

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