Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly recorded a new low on Thursday after an ugly war of words erupted between members of the ruling party and opposition, stalling the House for over an hour.
The issue started with irrigation minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao advising Leader of the Opposition and YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to come from his Lotus Pond residence to NTR Trust Bhavan to learn the facts about irrigation projects.
Mr Reddy in his reply countered it by saying that “if TD MLAs do not understand English, let them come to us so that we can teach them not only English but facts as well”.
Responding to Opposition leader and YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s jibe at the Telugu Desam, Chief Whip Kalva Srinivasulu said that Mr Reddy was a thief.
“Do you know that a boy studying at Shiva Shivani School in the city, while going to his school in a van, had stolen some question papers? That boy was none other than Mr Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He knew the art of stealing at a prime age,” he said.
Mr Srinivasulu added that Mr Jagan Reddy’s mother Y.S. Vijayalakshmi, had urged former CM K. Rosaiah to see to it that her son did not go out of Bengaluru.
Infuriated YSRC members rushed into the well of the House and started shouting slogans against the CM. Ministers and TD MLAs Pitala Sujatha, Kollu Ravindra and Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdary countered Mr Jagan Reddy and the YSRC MLAs. There was chaos and the war of words continued for over 15 minutes.
The situation took a turn for the worse when TD MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao accused YSRC MLAs R.K. Roja and Kodali Nani as “people with iron legs and 420s”. He said Ms Roja spoke vulgar language and Mr Nani was a bane for any party.
Mr Nani apparently abused Mr Umamaheswara Rao who shouted that he would take him to task. In the midst of the din, the Speaker adjourned the House.
Unhappy over not getting a chance to speak, Ms Roja spoke at the media point after the House was adjourned and accused Mr Naidu of resorting to dirty tricks. “We are trying to raise people’s issues whereas the TD has been resorting to personal attacks.”
Accusing Ms Sujatha of behaving beneath her dignity, Ms Roja said, "If I say anything against her, she immediately says that a Dalit woman is targeted. But she can talk in an ugly manner. Is it fair?"
On becoming the target of the ruling party, a nonchalant Ms Roja said the government could not do anything to her since what she had been saying was right and the people would understand.
