The five-day Monsoon Session of Andhra Pradesh legislative Assembly began on a stormy note on Monday with the main Opposition YSR Congress Party disrupting the House repeatedly over the issue of special category status to the State.
The first day witnessed noisy scenes and heated exchanges between the ruling Telugu Desam and the YSRCP as the Opposition members repeatedly stormed the well of the House and laid a siege to the Speaker’s podium. Speaker had to adjourn the House for the day as unrelenting YSRCP members did not allow the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to make a statement on the special category status.
Despite the repeated appeals of the Speaker K Siva Prasad, Minister for legislative affairs Y Ramakrishnudu and Chief Whip K Srinvasulu, YSRCP members led by leader of Opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy did not relent. When all the efforts to bring the order to the House failed and YSRCP continued their slogan shouting, the Speaker adjourned the House.
Earlier, Jaganmohan Reddy demanded that the Telugu Desam should leave the BJP-led NDA Government at the center as it had failed to grant the special category status to Andhra Pradesh. He held the Chief Minister Naidu responsible for the spate of suicides over the issue.
Chandrababu Naidu on the other hand brushed aside the demand. “Who is Jaganmohan Reddy to ask the TDP to quit NDA,” he said, adding that the issue of special category status for Andhra Pradesh had come up because of the BJP and M Venkaiah Naidu at the time of Parliament passing the Reorganisation Act under UPA Government. “Because of the pressure of the BJP then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had committed to give special status to Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
He lashed out at Jagan saying he had supported the UPA Government in haphazard bifurcation of the State to come out of jail on bail.