The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was caught in a pandemonium as all opposition parties stalled proceedings on different issues on the third day of the ongoing monsoon session on Thursday.
The House was adjourned twice this morning as the opposition members disrupted the proceedings.
Opposition legislators stormed the Speaker’s podium, holding placards and raising slogans in support of their respective demands.
The main Opposition Telugu Desam Party, along with CPI and CPM, demanded that the Centre immediately slash the price of diesel and lift the ceiling on subsidised LPG. The YSR Congress members too joined the protest on the same issue. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti, on the other hand, wanted the House to adopt a resolution seeking creation of a separate Telangana State.
Speaker Nadendla Manohar first adjourned the House till 10 a.m. within three minutes after it sat for the day’s business. Noisy scenes continued when the House reassembled at 10.05 a.m. as the opposition MLAs stayed put in the Well of the House.
Amidst this, the Speaker asked Deputy Chief Minister, holding charge of Higher Education portfolio, to move a Bill to amend the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological Universities Act and another Bill to further amend the Andhra Pradesh Education Act. The two Bills seek to replace the Ordinances issued last month.
Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu, on behalf of the Municipal Administration Minister, moved a Bill to further amend the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Corporations Act, seeking to create a common service for employees in municipal corporations.
The Speaker then appealed to the protesting opposition legislators to return to their seats and let the House transact business but to no avail.
Mr Manohar then adjourned the House for the second time till 11 a.m..
