Hyderabad: The alleged cash-for-vote scam in Telangana rocked the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Friday with opposition YSR Congress demanding Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's reply on the matter which led to the House being adjourned without transacting any substantial business.
Speaker K Siva Prasad adjourned the Assembly sine die on the last day of the five-day Monsoon Session after the YSRC members trooped into well of the House and raised slogans against Naidu.
The Speaker disallowed an adjournment motion sought to be moved by YSRC for debate on the alleged cash-for-vote issue, in which two Telangana TDP MLAs were arrested and later released on bail, but the opposition members continued insisting on a debate over the issue.
The protests by the opposition members made the Speaker to adjourn the House twice, but the same scenes continued after the House re-assembled on both the occasions. Noting that the issue cannot be discussed in the House as it is sub-judice, the Speaker asked the opposition leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy to seek the debate in a different form.
Demanding that Naidu should clarify on the cash-for-vote issue, Reddy said the ruling TDP members spoke on the cases (though court proceedings were on). Naidu must clarify whether the voice in the purported audio clips doing rounds is his or not and whether the arrested TDP MLA A Revant Reddy was sent by him or not, he said.
"Naidu's name was mentioned 22 times in the charge sheet (related to the alleged scandal)," Reddy said.
Countering Reddy’s allegations, Ministers Palle Raghunatha Reddy, K Atchannaidu and Ravela Kishore Babu said the YSRC leader had no moral right to talk about corruption since he himself faced allegations. Atchannaidu alleged that there is a tacit understanding between TRS and YSRC to defame TDP.
Responding to Atchannaidu's claim that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao spoke to Jaganmohan Reddy, the YSRC leader said he is ready to quit if it is proved. As the din continued, the Speaker adjourned the House.
Later, when the House re-assembled, TDP member B Jayanageswara Reddy said he is moving privilege motion against Congress Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao on certain comments reportedly made by him on the Assembly.
Another TDP member V Anita moved a privilege motion against YSRC members who allegedly pasted the photos of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in the Assembly lounge. The Speaker said both the matters would be referred to the privileges committee.
