ASSEMBLY POLL '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS '98
ARCHIVES

Storm in AP assembly over deer dinner

The winter session of the Andhra Pradesh assembly began on a stormy note today with opposition members stalling the proceedings and forcing Speaker Y Ramakrishnudu to abruptly adjourn the house for the day.

As soon as the house assembled, the entire opposition was on its feet demanding an immediate discussion on the controversial dinner hosted by a ruling Telugu Desam Party activist in Khammam district last month in which meat of protected animals was served and the alleged failure of the government to check the sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities.

The dinner was attended by four state ministers and Lok Sabha Speaker Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi. The TDP activist had hosted the party to celebrate the completion of three years in office of Major and Medium Irrigation Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao.

Despite the speaker's repeated pleas to the agitated members to allow the question hour to be completed first, the opposition members remained on their feet and vociferously demanded an immediate discussion on the issues raised by them.

The speaker said as per tradition and convention, except the question hour there could not be anything else on the first day of the session. It was for the business advisory committee to include the issues in the agenda, he added.

His repeated assurance that he would allow the issues, sought to be raised by them, to be debated in the house after the BAC finalised the agenda, fell on deaf ears.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report