A remark made by Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayan Reddy in the Assembly on Wednesday sparked protests by Opposition members, forcing Speaker Nadendla Manohar to remove it from the records although it was “not unparliamentary”.
The Minister made the remark as part of a proverb popular in his Nellore district in reference to those who would never alter their mindset, after members of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) , Telugu Desam and YSR Congress thronged the podium.
TRS members demanded introduction of a resolution on Telangana State, the Telugu Desam members a debate on farmers’ problems and finally, those of the YSR Congress a discussion on securing national status for Polavaram and Pranahita-Chevella projects.
As a result, the listed business could not be taken up in the House for the third consecutive day. The House hardly sat for 35 minutes for the day. The Speaker made a vain bid to bring in order by adjourning the proceedings three times, the last break lasting for two hours up to 12.30 pm. The members of these parties stormed the podium soon after the session began, each group seeking a debate on the matter they sought to raise through adjournments motions which, however, were disallowed.
At one stage, the Finance Minister said the Assembly belonged to the people and not merely to the Opposition, and appealed to them to extend cooperation. He said Opposition parties would say one thing at Business Advisory Committee meetings and do a different thing later in the House.
The Speaker ruled that the Minister’s remark should not form part of the records, although it was not unparliamentary.
