Pandemonium prevailed during the council meeting of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) here on Monday as corporators of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress (YSRC) entered into heated arguments over a remark made by a ruling party member against YSR Congress MLA Jaleel Khan. YSRC Corporators staged a walkout.
The issue led to an intense debate during the discussion on the annual budget with an outlay of Rs. 572 crore that was presented during the meeting. YSR Congress members led by Corporator Punyaseela took strong exception to the remarks made by his TDP counterpart G. Haribabu that Mr. Khan was ‘inefficient’ in mobilising funds for undertaking development works. Ms. Punyaseela and her party colleagues demanded that the TDP Corporator withdraw his statement. As chaos prevailing in the meeting hall, Mayor Koneru Sridhar adjourned the forum for 10 minutes.
When the meeting resumed, Corporators of both the parties continued arguments over the issue and later Mr. Khan came to the meeting and told the members that he had submitted 47 representations to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and other Ministers over various developmental issues pertaining to the city. “It’s not proper on the part of the TDP Corporator to make such remarks against me,” he said, demanding that the Corporator must withdraw the remarks.
Intervening in the spree of arguments, the Mayor said that he would look into the issue after verifying the records. The budget was finally passed in the absence of the YSR Congress Corporators who walked out in protest against the comments made on Mr. Khan.
