The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution strongly condemning the behaviour of the Leader of the Opposition, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy with regard to the allegations raised by him against Agriculture Minister Prathipati Pulla Rao during a discussion on the AgriGold scandal during the last two days.
Moving the government resolution in the absence of Mr. Jagan who walked out of the House along with his party MLAs in protest against the refusal by Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao to give the time sought by him, Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said Mr. Jagan shied away from accepting the Chief Minister’s offer of a judicial inquiry as he did not have concrete evidence.
Mr. Jagan apparently had some bogus papers on the basis of which he resorted to mud-slinging on the Minister, who made a categorical statement that the lands purchased by him had no links to the AgriGold Group, Mr. Ramakrishnudu observed.
Plea for one-year suspension
Endorsing the resolution, Telugu Desam members Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, S.V. Mohan Reddy and Jyothula Nehru suggested that Mr. Jagan be suspended for one year for repeatedly wasting the time of the Assembly and waging a malicious propaganda against Mr. Pulla Rao.
Earlier, Mr. Jagan asked the Speaker to give him just 20 minutes to produce the evidence but Dr. Siva Prasada Rao ruled that the Leader of the Opposition should either pick up the gauntlet thrown by Mr. Pulla Rao or withdraw his allegations and tender an apology for casting aspersions on the Minister. As the Speaker refused to allow Mr. Jagan to put forth his arguments without first saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the judicial inquiry, Mr. Jagan walked out with his MLAs, causing Mr. Ramakrishnudu to move the resolution. Mr. Ramakrishnudu and other members, including P. Manikyala Rao and P. Vishnu Kumar Raju of the BJP, took strong objection to the attitude of Mr. Jagan.
