Amidst noisy scenes and charges and counter-charges between YSR CP and ruling TDP members, Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Monday adopted condolence motions mourning the death of 28 people in the stampede during Godavari Pushkarams and the suicide committed by some individuals seeking Special Category status for the State.
Moving the condolence motion, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed his anguish over the incident, in spite of taking all precautions in anticipation of the visit of large number of pilgrims during Pushkarams to Rajahmundry. Soon after knowing about the rush, he went to the control room and monitored the situation. Conveying his condolences to the bereaved family members, he said that he was unable to digest tragedy even now.
Launching a scathing attack on Mr. Naidu, Leader of Opposition Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy blamed the Chief Minister for the deaths. He said that it would not have happened had Mr. Naidu gone to VIP Ghat instead of regular Pushkar ghat. He alleged that the Chief Minister went there for publicity and shooting a documentary leading to loud protests from treasury benches.
At one stage, Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao asked Mr. Jagan to withdraw certain remarks and cautioned him against belittling the Assembly. Legislative Affairs Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu also objected to Mr. Jagan’s remarks and accused him of giving a “faction message instead of a condolence message”.
Sparks flew again when the House immediately took up another motion to condole suicide by some individuals seeking Special Category Status. Expressing his anguish over the suicides, Mr. Naidu said that fearing a delay in the centre granting the SCS and that their future would be in dark, some people committed suicide. Appealing to people not to succumb to emotions, he conveyed his deep condolences.
Disagreeing with the Chief Minister, Mr. Jagan alleged that the suicides were committed due to the statements made by the Chief Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and the Union Ministers. “You have to own responsibility for those deaths”, he charged.
Angered by his remarks, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said that the Leader of the Opposition could not talk as he wished during a condolence motion. He said that the Government was not ready if he wanted to politicise it. Accusing the YSRCP of colluding with the Congress during the bifurcation, he said that it had no right to criticise the TDP. Rejecting the YSRCP’s demand for withdrawing the TDP ministers from the Union Cabinet, Mr. Naidu said that State’s interests were more important to Telugu Desam than power.
Earlier the House adopted another condolence motion paying glowing tributes to former President A P J Abdul Kalam.
